Donawa scores in third straight game
Justin Donawa lived up to his reputation as Darlington’s “super sub” after leaping off the bench to score in his third straight game on Saturday.
Donawa came on in the 78th minute against Leamington in the FA Cup third qualifying round, scoring his side’s second goal in the 88th to hand them a 2-0 away win.
The Bermuda forward also netted in the previous round away to Trafford before doubling his season’s tally at home to Alfreton Town in the Vanarama National League North.
The victory over Leamington puts Darlington in today’s draw for the final qualifying round
Alun Armstrong, the Darlington manager, said he expects Donawa to be “knocking at my door wanting to start” such is the impact he has made coming off the bench.
Donawa and team-mate Osagi Bascome, who was an unused substitute, will miss next weekend’s league match at home to Boston as they will be on international duty for Bermuda against Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League.
“I wanted to bring Justin on a little bit earlier but then Tyrone [O’Neill] scores what I would describe as an outstanding goal,” Armstrong said.
“I told Justin to take a back seat and then it was backs to the wall. I thought if I take Omar [Holness] off, I’m going to lose that height, so I had to revert to a back five and use Justin’s pace up top.
“It’s a shame we’re not going to have them next week. You can see the impact he makes and he just changes the game in an instant.”
Another Bermuda player on the scoresheet at the weekend was Willie Clemons, who found the net in Boden’s 2-2 draw away to Sandvikens IF in the Division One North in Sweden, while Roger Lee picked up a yellow card in Tallinna Kalev’s 2-2 draw away to Maardu in the Estonian top flight.
Reggie Lambe played the entire match in Cambridge United’s 2-2 draw at home to Macclesfield Town in the Sky Bet League Two, while Jonté Smith came on as a substitute in Cheltenham Town’s 1-1 draw away to Oldham Athletic.
In League One, goalkeeper Nathan Trott helped AFC Wimbledon claim their first league win of the season with a 3-2 victory at home to Rochdale.
Meanwhile, Zeiko Lewis was substituted in the second half in Charleston Battery’s goalless draw away to Birmingham Legion in the USL Championship. Charleston were reduced to ten men when Ataullah Guerra was sent off in the 56th minute.
UPDATE: this article has been amended to say that Jonté Smith came on as a substitute in Cheltenham Town’s 1-1 draw away to Oldham Athletic and was not an unused substitute as originally stated.