Quakers battled back from an early goal down to get back into the game, but they missed a crucial chance in the second half when the scores were level.
Darlington had to withstand some strong early pressure, and went an early goal down.
Quakers keeper Pete Jameson had to make two good saves in the opening three minutes
First, he pushed a left-foot shot from Charlie Jolley over the bar, and then in Fylde’s next attack, Luca Thomas broke on the right, cut inside and the keeper just managed to push his effort over the top.
And then the ball was played through the middle to the breaking Jon Ustabasi, who beat the offside trap, but as Jameson advanced, he slipped the ball wide of the left-hand post.
But Quakers went a goal down on eight minutes. A long throw from Kieran Coates on the right was flicked on for Danny Ormerod to come in at the back post and head past the stranded keeper.
Quakers tried to respond, but Cedric Main was denied on the edge of the box, then Ben Hedley put an effort over the top.
Fylde always threatened with their pace on the break and Thomas got away through the middle but dragged his effort wide.
When Quakers did get the ball into the box from Josh Scott’s cross from the left, Will Hatfield, Aidan Rutledge and Tom Allan were all crowded out by several covering defenders.
However, they levelled from a set-piece on 35 minutes. There was quite a bit of pushing and shoving going on in the area which the ref had to sort out before McGowan curled the ball in from the right for Elliot Forbes to head firmly home.
And they nearly went ahead when McGowan’s effort from the edge of the area was deflected just wide of the post.
The second half was more even than the first. The hard-working Maskell charged down a clearance and fired straight at Zak Jones, and Forbes fired over the top after he was set up by Hatfield.
At the other end, Jameson had to be alert in order to push away a deflected cross from the right.
The home side missed their best chance yet on 70 minutes when Hatfield did well to get to the byline on the end of an Allan pass and set up the advancing McGowan, who fired over from eight yards.
But Fylde regained the lead with five minutes left when they broke up the right and the ball was rolled across the six-yard box for Ustabasi to tap in.
And it was 3-1 in the last minute when more pressure opened up the home defence and Alex Healey-Byrne scored at the second attempt.
