Match Report

Darwen conceded late as they drew 2-2 with Ashton Athletic away from home.

Nick Hepple got off to a flying start with a first half brace that saw The Salmoners take a commanding lead into the break.

The second 45 saw the home side pull themselves back into the game through Joshua Nicholson and an injury time equaliser from Luke Crompton, with substitute Emmanuel Ujahchuku sent off in the process.

It took only three minutes for the visitors to get themselves in front, as Hepple muscled himself onto the ball inside the box and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to dispatch of the chance from six yards out.

Charlie Lloyd and Ben Crane followed with chances for either side, but it took until just the 18th minute for Darwen’s frontman to double their lead, when he guided a left-footed effort into the bottom-right corner from 20 yards out.

The Salmoners remained in cruise control after the goals, with the best opportunity for a third coming when Josh Abbott had an effort saved and Bobby Langford dragged his follow-up wide before the half-time whistle.

There wasn’t any sign of slowing down from the travelling side at the beginning of the second period, as Mohamed Wassa and Abdullah Zaffar came agonisingly close to scoring another.

Against the run of play, Nicholson kicked off The Yellows’ comeback 75 minutes in, after a defensive slip-up allowed the substitute in behind to round Morgan Newns and pass the ball into an empty net.

The home side’s late push took a knock when Ujahchuku was dismissed with five minutes to go, after the linesman spotted the midfielder put two hands around Pawel Zuk’s neck in an off the ball altercation.

Hepple came close to the hat-trick goal he had struggled with all game after the late red card, shortly before Ashton Athletic took the ball up the opposite end of the pitch and netted an equaliser in added time, as Crompton turned in a cross from close range to rescue a point.

The result ended up being a missed chance to go top of the NWCFL Division One North table, as Darwen remained in first place, one point off the summit heading into the home fixture against Holker Old Boys.