A cursory glance at the League table at 2:55 yesterday would have implied a thumping for Darlo. But inspection of the facts behind the table revealed a different slant. While City have won three on the trot they haven't hit the glorious high-spots of Swansea and Northampton, so care was needed against an opposition team handed the most effective galvanising impetus of all - administration and not being paid. Darlo may have only taken one point from five games, but all four defeats were by a 0-1 scoreline. They clearly aren't getting hammered, although their attacking threat may be absent. As they lined up they carded the very capable Conlon alongside the bustling ex-Leeds loanee Lee Matthews, with the pacy Wainwright given a free role in behind these two.

For all of these reasons it was, in hindsight, perhaps prudent for City to play a rather defensive formation and rely on our front four to find a way through their defence while keeping it tight at the back. With Green's flair relegated to the bench, Thelwell was brought in at right back (and had an excellent game, one that matched his debut against Darlo in the sweltering August heat) and Hinds moved up to partner Ashbee in central midfield. As the game panned out this meant that we effectively were playing a 6-0-4 formation, which didn't provide the most attractive spectacle but nevertheless saw the three points bagged once more. Four wins in a row, top of the table, a chance to put distance between us and one of our rivals next week - it's all looking very rosy again.

Taking to the field in front of 3,500 Darlo fans and 3,300 tumultuous City fans (all having to share 6 urinals in the ludicrously under-specified Reynolds Arena) were:

Myhill
Thelwell Joseph Delaney Dawson
Price Ashbee Hinds Elliott
Forrester Burgess

Once again Forrester was preferred to Allsopp despite an aimless performance by the little fella at Cambridge last week. Jamie again scurried around the fringes of the Darlo defence without ever posing a serious threat - although this was perhaps partly due to the isolation that the front players felt as they received service from their defensive and midfield colleagues 30-40 yards back down the field. City pressed from the off but the first chance fell to Darlington as their right midfielder cut inside and fired a 20 yard shot that Myhill tipped over adeptly. The early exchanges went in the home side's favour as they were clearly well prepared and motivated by manager Hodgson. With six minutes on the clock Wainwright, finding space "in the hole", struck a low drive onto the outside of Myhill's post. Moments later Delaney conceded a corner as the defence was opened up by a quality through ball, and the resulting corner was headed wide by Matthews. City had the odd moment - a free kick and corner won after Price was fouled deep in Darlo territory was the pick - but no specific goal threat emerged. Even the alice-banded lunk-headed goon Matt Clarke was made to look like a competent athlete for a while, despite all past evidence pointing to the contrary.

After 20 Darlo pressed forward and won four corners in a row as the City defence rocked a little. However, all were defended adequately and - buoyed by not hitting the canvas - the Tigers roared back with a upper cut of their own. From the cleared fourth corner Forrester surged away from the right back position and fed Burgess in space. Ben played a lovely through ball into Elliott's path in the box who then sat the goalie down and rolled the ball into an empty net. Celebrations were short-lived, however, as the linesman's flag was raised. This didn't stop Sky Sports showing this disallowed goal throughout its news coverage last night as the winning strike. Was Fieldhouse making a guest appearance in the editing suite, perhaps?

This exchange of play deflated Darlington and enervated City. Dawson pinged a long through ball into Burgess's feet, the big man having sprung through a gap in the Darlo back line, but Liddle got back to tackle Burgess in the box amid half-hearted penalty cries. With half an hour gone City won a throw in on the right. The ball was directed at Price who dummied and sprang towards the byline as the ball bounced to Burgess. Ben nodded the ball into Price's path and the Welshman's low cross evaded attempted shots and clearances before reaching Elliott on the back post who steered the ball into an unguarded net. Cue acrobatics from the Ulsterman and unrestrained joy in the City supporting ranks. Further chances were made as the half drew to a close, a Dawson shot flashed wide from a free-kick while Darlo steered a twice-taken free kick just over the bar after Delaney was harshly penalised 25 yards from goal. Ashbee was booked for encroachment as he blocked the first attempt.

Half time thoughts turned to George Reynolds. Colourful. That's certainly an apt description for a man whose nasty streak and arrogance are well known. But I remain of the view that Reynolds is not a footballing crook in the Geoffrey Richmond or Stephen Hinchliffe mould. He is simply a bumbling idiot who has spoojed his money on a folly of a stadium at a time when his business affairs approached bankruptcy. Darlo are in serious strife, there's no doubt about that, but it's down to Reynolds lack of any management skills rather than nefarious acts. Cold comfort.

Within 90 seconds of the restart Danny Allsopp replaced Forrester, Jamie attempt to run off a first half injury had clearly failed. Within another two minutes Allsopp had his first chance as Burgess and Elliott combined to feed him in the box, but Danny is not yet match sharp and his weak shot was rolled straight at keeper Price. Darlo again took the game to City as they had in the first half, but their forward probings were running aground on the string of six defensive players that City posted 30 yards in front of Myhill's goal. So while Darlo had considerable possession they created little with it, a half chance for Matthews after strong work by Conlon being the limit of their endeavours.

Allsopp did well to win a free-kick when 2-versus-1 25 yards out, but the chance was twice wasted. Then Dawson swung a deep corner beyond the back post to Delaney whose mis-hit attempted shot from the by-line sliced wickedly to Burgess six yards out, Ben's sharp first time effort was on target but straight at the keeper's legs. Moments later Burgess again had a close range effort after a fine cross by Thelwell, but the big man was unlucky as his shot was headed downwards by defender Liddle and bounced up into the keeper's grasp. Burgess was denied a third time after 77 minutes as a corner was headed on at the near post by Allsopp and Ben hooked a shot just over the crossbar with his back to goal. These three chances and his general hardworking attitudes meant that Burgess was perhaps City's man of the match today, although Delaney and Thelwell also had reasonable claims to that crown.

This description of Burgess's chances implies that City had the lion's share of the threat, which was true, but Darlo had the greater slice of possession without creating anything with it. Recognising the threat Taylor wisely withdrew the tiring Elliott for the defensive yeoman Holt. But the shutting up of shop didn't ensue as Darlo made their best chances of the game, a skied snapshot by Clarke from a corner and a goal disallowed for offside after a surging run by the impressive Matthews. In the last ten minutes Darlo continued to work hard, embodied by the efforts of the willing and skilful Conlon, but their luck wasn't in (as is so often the case for teams at the foot of the table, success and failure in football is as much to do with fortune as skill and ability). The closing moments were rendered ugly by a flurry of bookings and City's fairly lame attempts at running down the clock by the corner flag. With 90 minutes on the clock City won a corner and posted three players in the final third of the field, one in the box and two by the flag to fanny around. Unedifying it may have been, but it had the desired effect and the three points were duly trousered.