Sunday Independent:

A new pair of boots worked wonders for goal-starved Gordon Staniforth and his tiring, frustrated Plymouth Argyle team mates. All the signs pointed to John Hore’s men being forced to pack their bags for the long trek north for a replay as they laboured for 81 minutes to make any real impact against their Fourth Division opponents.

Then someone pointed our that Argyle had left it late in every previous tie and why should this game be any different? It might have been dismissed as a cynical remark if at that precise moment the ball hadn’t finished up nestling snugly in the back of the Darlington net!

Kevin Hodges nodded the ball to Staniforth, lurking a couple of yards clear of the Darlington penalty area. The little man instantly took aim and his low, pin-pointed drive arrowed through a row of defenders and past Fred Barber’s despairing dive.

Now at long last, nothing could stop Argyle charging through to the last sixteen of the FA Cup for only the second time in their history.

"I’ve certainly never reached the fifth round before," said a delighted Staniforth. it’s been so frustrating for me over the last few games that I have kept changing my boots hoping it would change my luck.

"I’ve tried three different pairs and today experimented with new ones. I think I’ll stick with them now for the next round ..."

Staniforth paid tribute to Kevin Hodges for setting up his chance. "It was such a nice touch on that I could get my head down and smack it first time. I was pleased to see the ball go in because I did think the ‘keeper was going to get to it."

The goal was Staniforth’s first since Boxing Day and only his fifth of the season. It came as a shattering blow to a Darlington side that tied Argyle up into so many knots that they never looked capable of unravelling enough to succeed . Just one Darlington goal was enough to torment home fans. Chris Harrison deliberately obstructed Kevin Todd to concede a free kick. Todd took up his place in the middle and moved in unchecked, to steer a simple shot past Geoff Crudgington after Dave McLean lobbed the ball in at his feet.

The game was 35 minutes old and Argyle still hadn’t forced a corner and had tested Barber at full stretch only once to parry a drive from Hodges.

But five minutes later they were level. Gordon Nisbet’s free kick into the heart of the Darlington goalmouth was headed on by Staniforth. As the heads went up to clear. John Uzzell beat them all to the ball by nodding it into the roof of the net off Barber’s outstretched fingers.

Argyle - Crudgington, Nisbet, Uzzell, Harrison, Smith, Cooper, Hodges, Phillips, Tvnan, Staniforth, Rogers. Sub: Pearson.

Darlington - Barber, Craggs, Johnson, Honour, Smith, Barton, Cartwright, Todd, Gilbert, Walsh, McLean. Sub: Davies.

Scorers: Argyle - Uzzell, Staniforth : Darlington - Todd.

Referee: Mr. R. G. Milford (Bristol)

Attendance: 8918.