Match Report

Darwen moved up to Fourth place in the North West Counties First Division North courtesy of a 3-1 home victory against struggling Ashton Athletic.

Darwen started the game brightly and had their best chance just five minutes in. Gooden swung a beautiful cross in from the left but Nathan Bond glanced the ball just inches wide.

Against the run of play in the fifth minute, the visitors took the lead. After some neat build up play, midfielder Luke Crompton struck the ball high into the net leaving Morgan Newns no chance in goal.

Darwen had a plethora of chances in the remainder of the first period but Ewan Dodgson remained resolute in the Athletic goal. These chances fell to Abbott, Bond and Severino. Even though Darwen dominated the first half, they trailed at the interval.

The Salmoners’ dominance continued into the second half and just after the half hour mark, finally there was a breakthrough.

Substitute Abdullah Zaffar excelled on the left. He turned his man inside out before crossing the ball to Bruno Severino who half volleyed the ball home for the equaliser.

Just two minutes later, Zaffar turned the game on it’s head.

The winger ran from the left hand side of the box under pressure from the Ashton defence to the right.

He then delicately chipped the ball over Dodgson’s head and the ball kissed in off the post.

Delirium broke out at the Anchor as the home side took the lead.

The visitors then enjoyed their best spell of the game as they looked to even the score but had no effort on target of note.

Darwen sealed the victory in the Eighty-Ninth minute. Bruno Severino capitalised onto a defensive mistake, charged towards goal but unselfishly squared the ball to Bobby Langford to tap the ball in at the far post.

The 3-1 victory was Darwen’s third win in a week and their fourth on the bounce at home.

A Lancashire derby away at Colne is next on the agenda for the Salmoners.