GARY ROBERTS was red carded as Town tumbled out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy – again.

This was the fourth successive season the Galpharm side have fallen at their first hurdle in this competition.

And as Darlington joined Boston United, Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town in giving Town the boot, Roberts was left to reflect on a three-match suspension.

The 24-year-old could never be described as a malicious player, and his 37th-minute challenge on Ricky Ravenhill didn’t look that bad.

But as the home man lay prostrate – he was eventually taken off on a stretcher – and the Darlington faithful howled in protest, referee Kevin Wright consulted with assistant Paul Simpson and produced a straight red card.

Ironically, Roberts was the only survivor from the starting XI against Leicester City last Saturday, and unless Town decide to appeal and are successful, he’ll miss the forthcoming League I fixtures at Swindon Town, at home to Bristol Rovers and at Hartlepool.

Stan Ternent’s changes included only a second career start for England youth goalkeeper Alex Smithies and a first appearance of the season for midfielder James Berrett, who has just received a fresh Republic of Ireland Under 21 call-up (for the game in Lithuania next Tuesday).

Smithies played behind a back four of Tom Clarke (at right-back), Chris Lucketti, David Unsworth (at centre-back) and Robbie Williams, with Andy Holdsworth, Berrett, Michael Collins and Roberts making up the midfield and Keigan Parker and Danny Cadamarteri up front.

There’s no shortage of experience in that line-up, but Town still looked distinctly disjointed in a first half which ended with home centre-back Alan White heading home from Franz Burgmeier’s free-kick seconds before the 45-minute mark.

Town’s only real effort had come from Parker, who seized on a White slip but had his shot blocked by Polish goalkeeper Prezyslaw Kazimierczak in the 18th minute.

With Liechtenstein international midfielder Burgmeier putting in some telling set-pieces, Darlington had looked more threatening, with Lucketti and Unsworth blocking goalbound shots by Burgmeier and Neil Austin before David Poole sent a 40th-minute half-volley crashing against the bar.

With Ternent able to reorganise at the break and Andy Butler replacing Unsworth for the second half, 10-man Town performed better.

Butler headed Williams 52nd-minute free-kick against the bar while a minute later, former Port Vale midfielder Robin Hulbert hacked a Cadamarteri shot off the line.

Then, in the 60th minute, Collins’ corner led to a furious scramble with Butler frustratingly unable to get a clean connection to the ball with the goal beckoning.

Joe Skarz, on as a 63rd-minute replacement for Tom Clarke and playing in midfield (Holdsworth went to right-back) added an extra dimension down the left as Town pushed for an equaliser.

But as Skarz latched onto a poor White clearance and played in Parker in the 67th minute, the former Blackpool man’s curled shot went just the wrong side of the far post.

Then Skarz had a header saved as Cadamarteri crossed.

Darlington still had their moments though, and it took an excellent challenge by Lucketti to foil Burgmeier as he chased ex-Sheffield Wednesday striker Adam Proudlock’s precise pass in the 59th minute.

Then Burgmeier headed wide from Poole’s cross before Smithies pulled off a great close-range save to deny home skipper Steve Foster as he met yet another Burgmeier free-kick with a rising shot in the 78th minute.

Two minutes later, Holdsworth was the saviour, coming across to cut-out Greg Blundell’s cross as Liam Hatch hovered.

The damage had already been done, however, with any chance of a lucrative Wembley final trip out of the window.