On Tuesday night of this week, the DFC Foundation 'Think With Your Feet' squad took their unbeaten record to Blackwell Meadows for a Charity Game to raise funds for the Darlington Football Club Foundation. After a difficult selection process, the squads were picked and referee Andrew Scullion (Scully) got the match underway.
The Foundation team were being managed by Darlington Women's Boss Shaun Mackenzie whilst the Fans team were led by new youth development lead Dan Summerfield. The game started quite evenly although the Fans team were showing some good football considering they had never played together before. The fans team were probably on top in the first twenty minutes until fans keeper Jay Blewitt had a nightmare in goal and let ladies-man Kev Mallen's backpass of a shot through his legs and the Foundation took the lead.
With ex-Semi Pro Mikey Weston and solid midfield pair Chris Clack and Steven Appleby pulling the strings it wasn't too much later before the fans pulled level when Owen Agnew failed to follow his man who put over a cross that was bundled home by Foundation centre back Chrissy Gunnell for an own goal.
HALF TIME
Fans 1 Foundation 1
The second-half saw a raft of changes from the Foundation team and they started the second half much better with skipper Adam Lynas rattling the post. The Foundation were on top at this stage but against the run of play, Luke Boynton took the ball just outside the area and rifled a shot into the bottom corner beating Foundation keeper Ben Hodgson.
The Foundation however continued to plough forwards and should have been awarded a penalty when Mallen was fouled by Weston but Scully didn't give it much to the disgust of the crowd and Mallen who ranted at both the ref and Weston.
With six minutes to go, and Danny Heather joining Thompson up top, the latter found some space on the right hand side and cut back on his left foot delivering a perfect pinpoint cross onto the head of Lynas who nodded it past Blewitt who just watched it hit the net.
With Scully clarifying a draw would mean penalties, nerves were high and it was the fans who broke Foundation hearts with Andy Milburn skipping down the right hand side past Gunnell and beating Hodgson to make it 3-2 to the fans.
With time running out, although Scully played about 10 minutes of injury time, after a neat bit of play from Thompson and Lynas, Heather was through on goal with only the keeper to beat but sadly he failed to do so meaning the Foundation suffered their first loss against a high quality opposition.
FULL TIME
Fans 3 (Gunnell O.G, Boynton, Milburn) Foundation 2 (Mallen, Lynas)
We must thank Durham Caravans for sponsoring the match, Scully, Paul Saxton and Kieron Burkin for being match officials, Blackwell Meadows and Darlington FC for allowing us use of the pitch, Andy Futers for taking some incredible photos, the fans who turned up on the night and the players and managers who worked hard to put on a great football match.
We hope there will be some video footage by Cameron Haggie who we would also like to thank. The match raised just over £1000 for the Foundation and you can still donate here
All the photos are available here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=DarlingtonFCFoundation&set=a.997654922150646
Foundation Team: Hodgson, Waters, Richards, Mansfield, Cave, Gunnell, Agnew, Lynas (c), Thompson, Heather, Mallen Subs: Garnett, Simonds, Stoker, Lyall
Fans Team: Blewitt, Moate, Barrett, Appleby, Clack, Russell, Colman, Boynton, Weston, Milburn, Duncan, Barrett, De Luca
