Darlington twice fought back from a goal down during a thoroughly entertaining four-goal thriller.

Jason Kennedy and Pawel Abbott got Quakers' goals either side of half-time at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena.

The result meant the sides drew 2-2 for the second time this season but, this outcome dented Bury's promotion hopes.

However, that was of no concern to Darlington boss Dave Penney who was pleased with his side's battling spirit.

Bury took the lead on eight minutes, and again eight minutes into the second half, but Darlington fought back in what was one of the best games at the Arena this season.

Penney said: "I think the fans got value for money because it was an end-to-end game as both team were trying to win the game even though there was nothing riding on it for us.

"There was definitely something on it for Bury, and there it is the same for our opposition in all of our three remaining games so hopefully they'll be as good as that.

"We showed great character to twice come back into the game against a team who are flying at the moment.

"Bury are in the play-offs but pushing for an automatic place, so for us to keeping coming back was great and at the death we could even have won."

The sides also drew 2-2 at Gigg Lane during the Christmas period, and Bury's first goal this afternoon was a gift, a huge deflection off Tim Ryan.

It caught Darlington cold and Przemyslaw Kazimierczak flat-footed as there was little the Pole could do to stop Glyn Hurst's long-range strike.

The goal stunned Darlington while Bury used their lead to take the sting out of the game, reluctant to go forward while Quakers lacked invention.

Penney added: "In the first 20 minutes or so we weren't at the races, but that was maybe due to the fact that Bury had played on Friday so had an extra 24 hours to recover.

"Initially we didn't have the sharpness, but once we got going I thought we were as good as them."

Bury's towering centre-back Ben Futcher was perhaps fortunate not to be punished for climbing on Abbott's back in Shakers' penalty area.

That came just as Darlington were beginning to enjoy supremacy, playing neat football against a side desperate for points towards promotion.

Abbott then dinked a high ball into the area that Curtis Main fired into the side-netting.

Main started as both Liam Hatch and Danny Carlton were again left out as the question of their loan eligibility remains unanswered.

Their situation is expected to be resolved before the end of the week.

Before the break Main saw little of the ball, but put plenty of work in as Darlington pressed and earned a handful of corners, one of which coming after a hilarious piece of gamesmanship courtesy of Bury's Elliott Bennett.

In trying to shepherd the ball out of play ahead of Rob Purdie, he performed a spectacular dive that drew jeers and laughter.

The corner came to nothing, but Darlington did not have to wait long for their equaliser, Kennedy scoring seven minutes before the break.

He flicked a header past keeper Wayne Brown following Franz Burgmeier's left-wing cross after working a short corner with Purdie.

The goal was just reward at the end of a first half in which Darlington had showed far greater endeavour.

They continued to be the better team after the break, Abbott twice calling Brown into action, but it was Bury who scored the next goal on 53 minutes.

From a corner conceded after a fine sliding challenge by Alan White, Efe Sodje rose and his downwards header beat Kazmierczak.

Sodje also scored against Quakers in December, and the defender was soon at the centre of controversy, somehow being awarded a free-kick after tumbling inside his own area under a weak challenge from Main.

Darlington were not receiving any luck, as demonstrated on the hour when Purdie's powerful shot took a deflection but, unlike Hurst's effort, it bounced wide.

But a second leveller soon came with Main the provider.

On 74 minutes the determined 16-year-old chased Ricky Ravenhill's forward ball and picked out Abbott to score from close-range.

Although Abbott's name was on the scoresheet, the goal owed much to Main's persistence and calm pass to his better-positioned strike-partner.

Chances continued to fall for both sides with another Sodje header landing on the roof of Quakers' net, before the bandanna-wearing defender denied Darlington by clearing from under his crossbar with Abbott lurking.

There was still time for Danny Racchi to whack Darlington's crossbar with a free-kick, but a goal then would have been cruel on Quakers.

NORTHERN ECHO