HARRIERS showed their defensive muscle to shut-out Darlington and record a deserved 1-0 win on Friday night Fresh from the 1-0 win over Altrincham at Aggborough last time out, Harriers named an unchanged squad for this visit to Bishop's Auckland, where the re-formed Quakers play their home games.

That meant despite picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in that game, James McQuilkin was able to start with his suspension not set to kick in until the following day.

A strong crowd packed into a tight ground for this Friday night affair and were treated to a fairly tense affair in the opening stages, only eventually punctuated by the first goal of the game from Gnahoua's boot as he picked up on a Francis-Angol pass before curling the ball into the top corner.

The reds were never fully comfortable as they had been in those first games, however, and Terry Gilbraith had a brace of efforts before the half-hour mark to level matters, striking off target with a header and a rising shot.

Darlington built a real spell of pressure before the break without being able to break Harriers down and, within a couple of minutes of the restart, it was the visitors who almost hit them for a second just after the restart when the rampaging Gnahoua drove another effort straight at Jameson.

Darlo's Beck then nodded a cross wide as the hosts pushed, Gilbraith very nearly fining the target with an accurate free-kick from some 25 yards. The pressure only continued to build, Mitchell prodding a header on to the bar from a matter of inches before substitute Beck saw a follow-up cleared off the line.

Then, seconds later, Nowakowski turned and shot well inside the area and was only denied by a fine save from Hornby.

Harriers held on to preserve their unbeaten away start to the season.

HARRIERS: Hornby, Williams, Lowe, Tunnicliffe, Francis-Angol, Croasdale, McQuilkin (Thomas 55), Ngwatala (Brown 86), Dieseruvwe, Gnahoua, Waite (Austin 65).

Subs not used: Stambolziev, Truslove DARLINGTON: SJameson, Marrs, Galbraith, Turnbull, Burgess (c), Hunter, Portas (Cartman63), Scott (Mitchell 52), Beck, Hardy (Nowakowski 63), Thompson.

Subs not used: Bell, Purewal.

ATTENDANCE: 1,729 REFEREE: Will Finnie