Despite playing against a side currently below them in the National League North table, in front of an expectant 2,042-strong crowd at Blackwell Meadows, Steve Watson's side let themselves down badly as they delivered by far the worst performance of their manager's reign.

They were four goals down at the break, with Watson hauling off one of his centre-halves and his defensive midfielder before the interval as he desperately tried to stem the tide of Telford attacks.

Toby Lees' first-half own goal summed up Darlington's day, with the defender prodding an attempted clearance into his own net, and while the hosts displayed at least the semblance of a fight in the second half, Telford added to their tally as Adan George stroked home two more goals in the closing stages.

The visitors will hope for Football League opposition when the first-round draw takes place on Monday - Darlington look destined for a season scrapping for survival in the bottom half of National League North. On this evidence, even that limited ambition could be beyond them unless they improve.

The extent of Darlington's first-half collapse was truly remarkable. They were a goal down inside nine minutes, fell two behind in the 27th minute and were four goals in arrears when Telford scored two in two minutes shortly after the half-hour mark. It wasn't just that Darlington looked like conceding whenever their opponents attacked - in an especially chaotic spell towards the first half, they did.

They were the architects of their own downfall on countless occasions, most notably when they conceded the opener before they had even come close to fashioning a chance of their own.

Quakers' attempts to play out from the back were undone when Tom Platt was robbed of possession by Alex Fletcher, who fed Matthew Stenson. Darlington goalkeeper Peter Jameson turned the Telford striker's low shot around the post, but was at fault from the subsequent corner.

Jameson's attempts to gather the ball from the set-piece instead saw him spill it on the edge of the six-yard box, leaving Dylan Allen-Hadley with the simple task of stabbing home.

Ammar Dyer came close to doubling Telford's lead with a shot that flashed just past the post, and as if their inability to match their opponents in any facet of the game was not bad enough, Darlington lost arguably their most important player when Will Hatfield went down with a knee injury. While Hatfield was off the pitch receiving treatment, Telford scored their second goal.

A well-worked passing move saw the visitors scythe through the Quakers defence, and Stenson applied a neat finish via the inside of the post.

That was bad enough from a home perspective, but much worse was to follow as Darlington imploded completely, conceding two goals in consecutive minutes.

The first was a real defensive horror-show, with Lees seemingly having more than enough time to deal with a right-hand cross from Dyer, only for his attempted clearance to flash past Jameson and nestle in his own net.

A minute later and Telford had a fourth as the Darlington defence was found wanting again. Remi Walker slid a low cross across goal from the right, and even when a sliding Stenson saw his initial effort blocked, he was still able to do as he liked as he stabbed the ball over the line from close range.

A presumably furious Watson had made three changes before the 40th minute, such was the scale of the shambles that was unfolding in front of him, but aside from the thrusting runs of Middlesbrough loanee Charlie Lennon, who was the one and only bright spot in the home ranks, Quakers were unable to offer anything that might have disrupted Telford's dominance.

Cedric Main finally recorded an effort on target just after the hour mark, firing in a low strike that was saved low down by Jamie Pardington, but Telford added a fifth goal with 18 minutes remaining as substitute George spun away from his marker before slotting a slow finish past Jameson.

George scored again to complete the rout with five minutes remaining, stroking a precise low finish past Jameson after he had been released behind the Darlington defence.