Defender Kallum Griffiths showed Darlington’s forward players how to hit the back of the net by being the match-winner with a tremendous strike.

On a day when his team-mates missed numerous opportunities to have the outcome wrapped up well before full-time, Griffiths’ goal proved to be the only one of the game.

And the right-back’s fifth-minute strike was worthy of winning any contest.

Not known for his goal threat, Griffiths stunned Blackwell Meadows when he precisely and powerfully drilled a low shot with the outside of his boot from around 30 yards, the ball fizzing across the penalty area and crossing the goal-line after striking the inside of a post.

“You weren’t expecting that,” remarked Scott Thornberry, Darlington’s man on the PA system.

King’s Lynn recovered and enjoyed a lot of possession without forcing any chances, whereas Quakers had forgotten their shooting boots.

Darlington’s Will Hatfield sent Cedric Main away and the striker swung over a cross for on-loan Hazeem Bakre, but his downwards header was dealt with easily by Paul Jones.

Jones got a foot to the ball when Main looked like making it 2-0, the keeper blocking the effort after the forward forced his way into the middle of the penalty area.

Jones made a terrific save to keep it at 1-0 early in the second half, clawing away Ben Hedley’s effort from outside the penalty area.

The move had began inside Darlington’s half when a tenacious Mattie Cornish won the ball back with a clean tackle, and passing on possession. Bakre and Main then combined on the right, before Hedley was teed up in a central position, but the left-back’s attempt to match Griffiths’ eye-catching goal was thwarted by Jones.

The visitors had periods of possession but rarely looked like scoring. A rare moment of note inside Quakers’ penalty area came when Jonny Margetts, a player Darlington attempted to sign in January 2024 when he left Matlock, was booked for simulation.

Bakre, 19-years-old and on loan from Middlesbrough, shows pace and is a threat with his willingness to run at defenders, but should’ve passed to the better positioned Main after gliding past two defenders. Main did something similar shortly afterwards, when he should’ve passed to Caden Kelly from the byline.

After Bakre failed to score with only Jones to beat, Quakers will have been concerned about being punished for their profligacy.

Leading only 1-0 made it a nervy ending, and while King’s Lynn hit the crossbar through Greg Taylor, who had a spell with Darlington in 2011, Quakers sealed the points that their performance deserved.

Referee: Richard Holmes

Attendance: 1,481

Darlington: Jameson; Griffiths, Lees, Barrow, Hedley; Cornish (Hetherington 84), Hatfield, Platt, Kelly (Flint 73); Main (Nelson 89), Bakre (Maskell 80). Sub not used: Stirland

King’s Lynn: Jones; Crowe, Wilson, Taylor, Armstrong; Walker, Coulson, Hughes (Omotayo 63), Crane (Forde-Brown 66); Barnes (McCammon 66), Margetts. Subs not used: Ronan, Sass