Macclesfield Town 0-6 Darlington

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Posted at 10:22 PM GMT, Saturday, 30th August 2008

Darlington recorded one of their best away results in years thanks to an excellent second half showing which saw them cruise to victory at Moss Rose. The result also confirmed Darlington's first league win of the season but by the time the game ended that was merely a footnote thanks to the performance of striker Billy Clarke.

The young Ipswich Town forward extended his loan spell with Darlington during midweek and celebrated by scoring four goals. In doing so he became the first player to score four times in a match for nearly twenty years. Clarke was barely three years old when the last Darlington player achieved such an impressive feat.

Prior to this encounter David Cork, playing against Boston United during the Conference winning season of 1989/90, was the last time Quakers' fans had seen a player score four times during a match but Clarke's will live just as long in the memory thanks to his superb second goal. It came at a very important time too.

Darlington had the advantage going into the break but the Silkmen were starting to threaten a possible equaliser when the Irishman scored his second of the afternoon with a stunning drive from thirty yards out. That strike ended any chance of the home side finding a way back into the game. It was Clarke who also got Darlington started in the goal scoring stakes.

Fellow loan player Liam Hatch played an excellent ball across the Macclesfield penalty area for the forward to smash home the opening goal of the afternoon. Quakers were the dominant force throughout the first half. The visitors passing was crisp and clean and their hosts struggled to contain them. The Silkmen did however hit the top of the crossbar thanks to Ahmed Deen's freekick and as the second half started they appeared to be a different side to the one that had shown nothing in the previous forty-five minutes.

Any worries of Macclesfield finding a way back into the encounter ended on fifty-three minutes when Clarke fired in his stunning blockbuster from distance. The home side piled on their own misery minutes later when they scored an own goal. Franz Burgmeier crossed from the left and with Hatch closing in for a debut goal Richard Walker headed past his own keeper to extend Darlington's advantage to 3-0.

Macclesfield completed a miserable ten minute spell as Sean Hessey was shown a red card when he tripped Gregg Blundell, a substitute for the impressive Hatch just before the hour mark, to concede a penalty. Clarke stepped up to add Darlington's fourth of the afternoon and ensure he walked off with the match ball. The forward though added his own fourth on sixty-seven minutes. Burgmeier's ball in from the left flank was cunningly left by Blundell for Clarke to tap home to make it five.

Darlington could have added more goals but they understandably eased off. A couple of minutes from time the visitors added a final goal to complete the mauling. Neil Austin's long range effort beat Jonathan Brian as Quakers made it 6-0 and finished one of their most impressive games in years.

Macclesfield: Brian, Hessey, McDonald (Gritton 46), Walker, Brisley, Bell, Thomas, Deen, Evans, Green, Tolley (Dunfield 21). Subs Not Used: Yeo, Dennis, Jennings.

Darlington: Brown, Austin, White, Foster, Purdie, Poole, Kennedy (Hulbert 74), Ravenhill, Burgmeier, Clarke (Proudlock 73), Hatch (Blundell 58). Subs Not Used: Valentine, Kazimierczak.

Darlington bookings: None.

Macclesfield bookings: Dunfield.

Goals: Clarke 26th min (1-0), Clarke 53rd min (2-0), Richard Walker 56th min (3-0)(own goal), Clarke 64th min (4-0)(pen), Clarke 67th min (5-0), Austin 89th min (6-0).

Att: 1,554.