A Paul Huntington bullet just after the break was enough to sink a defiant Darlington side that will go away tonight with their heads held high after being unlucky not to get anything out of this Johnstone Paints Round Two tie.

Several individuals were a class act and the loss clouds the bigger picture of another solid, confident and generally excellent display of football that will set the Quakers in good stead for the weeks to come. Seldom has the Johnstone Paints Trophy witness as much testosterone as was flying about the Balfour Arena this evening.

Fresh from a steamrolling of Dagenham on Saturday, a fairly full strength Darlington line up took the game by the horns against Dennis Wise's presently irrepressible Leeds side.

Despite the relatively cagey start from the teams, even though the pair hold the two best defensive records n the football league so far this campaign, the game remained free flowing and had a bite and edge about it uncommon with in the confines of the Neasham Road cage, the noise from the terraces behind both goals reverberating around the Arena to provide a cracking atmosphere for its inaugural appearance in front of the Sky cameras.

Tommy Wright was at his usual standard in the twenty minutes he managed before being replaced by Matt Green, making his debut after signing on loan from Cardiff yesterday, winning headers, pressurising defenders with his constant harrying and chasing, and he almost got a early reward after he blocked Ben Parker's clearance forcing the young full back to hit short a pass across the box towards David Lucas who only just managed to clear his lines with Xavier Barrau in hot pursuit.

Although the Quakers' opportunities were restricted to long range efforts in the first forty-five minutes, it was the manner in which they patrolled the game that impressed most. With Clark Keltie magnificently pulling the strings in the middle of midfield, his range of passing and ability to play to a simple game as well as anyone in the business was an outlet whenever Darlington had possession. Quakers never allowed Leeds an inch, and every time possession was lost to the League One high flyers you could guarantee a black and white shirt was there in a flash to win the ball back. This relentless stifling and frustrating of the opposition was simply a master class in how to defend right up the field.
However, its public knowledge that Darlington are currently a tad short in attack and the numerous crosses and long range shots gave the Leeds defence something to think about but not necessarily worry too much over.

Greg Blundell's sizzling low drive just before the break was the closest the Quakers came, Huntington required to hoof the ball clear after Lucas could only get a hand to the returning to the form striker's drive.

When Leeds was given the opportunity to break they did look threatening however. The pace of Andrews and De Vries up front is adequate to unsettle most lower league defences but for the lions share of the time the old guard at the heart of Darlington's backline were unfazed and largely untroubled.

Curtsis Weston's Gerard-esque burst forward early on and a Andrews header over the top just before the break were the best Leeds had to offer Andy Oakes, which is testament to how well marshaled the under-strength but still quality packed Leeds line up was.

They did taker first blood though and it provided the catalyst to what was to become a barnstorming contest. Paul Huntington flew across his own penalty box to brilliantly stop the marauding Green in his tracks for the expense of a corner, and then Huntington pooped up at the other end to bullet header home a Leeds corner that they won from the resulting counter break.

A bitter pill to swallow for the hosts but it reinvigorated them to come right back at their opponents.

Much was thanks to the excellent work of stocky debutant Green who frequently used his rawness and enthusiasm to cause the Leeds defence problems, most notably just after Leeds took the lead he broke again thumping a thunderous right footer that former Quaker Lucas saved very well to his left. It is almost unbelievable that green has not got more of a look in at Cardiff as he continued to show his pedigree and wide ranging striking attributes that made him a instant hit with the Quakers.

He played off the shoulder well to latch onto to Parker's missed headed clearance but the shot-cum-cross dipped well over the bar, but he came much closer moments later firing a electrifying half volley marginally wide of the post with Lucas clearly wary. With the clock ticking down Penney was throwing more men forward in hope of sending the game to penalty kicks but for all their valiant efforts it was looking pretty ominous that today the pieces were not going to quite fall into place.

Wainwright and Keltie both saw shots from range easily saved low by Lucas and fizz wide respectively and Mark De Vries should have sealed a certain victory for Leeds in the last minute of normal time but Andy Oakes dogged block at his feet was enough to see the shot deflect wide.

Wainwright has a chance of a last gasp reprieve after the ball fell to him fourteen yards out with half the goal to aim at but he pulled his right footer harmlessly wide of the target. Never has the Johnstone Paints seemingly meant so much. The much maligned Mickey Mouse cup has left a bitter taste n the mouth, not so much because Quakers got knocked out and not so much because it was to Leeds, but because they were well worth at least a penalty shoot out if not a win in normal time. But fair is fair. Leeds showed some quality in the second half albeit Oakes was rarely troubled.

Nonetheless this was mightily encouraging. Another very impressive display with the much criticized centre midfield putting in another faultless display, the team defending resolutely as a unit, a new star is born and a temporary solution to out striking problem looks well set to be solved in the excellent Green and Blundell looked to be at his best in patches with a confident performance particularly in the first third of the game. Yes Darlington lost but in many ways they won today. A momentary lapse just after the break is the only thing separating two sides who you would have to expect will both be fighting out promotion in five months time.

Darlington: Oakes, Purdie, Foster, White, Ryan, Joachim, Keltie, Ravenhill (Cummins 78), Barrua (Wainwright 56), Blundell, Wright (Green 24). Subs: Miller, Brooks-Meade, Green, Wainwright, Cummins.

Leeds: Lucas, Richardson, Huntington, Heath (Clapham 46), Parker, Weston, Howson, Thompson (Da Costa 57), Westlake, Andrews (Ameobi 78), De Vries. Subs: Martin, Bayly, Da Costa, Ameobi, Clapham.

Darlington bookings: Blundell, Keltie, White.

Leeds bookings: Andrews, Thompson.

Goals: Huntington 48th min (0-1).

Report by Garry Mann.