Match Report

Darwen travelled to the Fylde Coast where they suffered a 2-1 loss in a lackluster performance against Squires Gate.

The Salmoners’ first away trip of the season turned into a game to be remembered for all the wrong reasons, with Ryan Talbot’s equaliser cancelled out to end their unbeaten start to the season on matchday three.

An injury-ridden Darwen side struggled for entertainment in the first half, failing to register a shot on target.

Kit Lloyd and Ryan Talbot combined early on to set Pawel Zuk away, but the right-back couldn’t work an angle to cross before the keeper won a foul off a collision with Talbot.

The hosts opened the scoring after only 12 minutes, with a one-two between Scott Harries and Dean Ing ending in winger Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid being through on goal.

The number seven’s effort struck the left post before going in, making it a tidy finish with little Louis Hood could have done.

Darwen struggled to get into the game for the remainder of the half, with a lot of moves breaking down in the final third.

Windy conditions and an unfamiliar playing surface certainly looked to have had an impact on the visitors’ game, on top of the off-pace performance.

Jack Wright came closest with two efforts blocked at the back post following a corner, but a poor half ended with the away side in the dressing room 1-0 down.

Joshua Abbott came off the bench to lead a brief fightback at the start of the second half, involved with new signing Jack Gooden straight away down the left wing before the left-back’s cross landed too deep to produce a chance.

Only 10 minutes after coming on Abbott was involved again, this time to set up Ryan Talbot’s equaliser.

The substitute picked up Pawel Zuk’s pass inside the Squires Gate box, before firing the ball across goal and into the path of Ryan Talbot, who capitalised on the goalkeeper’s misjudgement and tapped in for his second goal of the season.

Kevin Zokou appealed for a foul in the build-up, claiming to have been pushed in the back as he contested the long ball, but the referee waived away any doubt of Darwen’s goal standing.

Less than five minutes later Abbott nearly had a goal of his own, hitting the post after Bruno Severino managed to pick him out in behind the Gate defence.

However, with 20 minutes to go the home side retook the lead.

After being second best for the first time in the game, Squires Gate managed to break away with Luke Harris down the right hand side, before the substitute cut inside and found striker Dean Ing arriving unmarked at the far post for an easy finish.

It seemed as if the hosts’ second goal had killed off the game for good despite only the one-goal lead, with Darwen’s energy and tempo falling off with time running out.

Wright stepped up at the back to block Harris’ effort late on and give his side a fighting chance at another equaliser.

Abbott hit the post again in the 87th minute, after Abdullah Zaffar’s inviting cross found him six yards out, his header striking the woodwork for the second time in half an hour, bringing a frustrating end to a disappointing game.

Speaking after the match Leighton Mills gave his thoughts on the defeat.

“We were nowhere near it today.” he said.
“We were a million miles off the first contact, a million miles off the second and we just about got there for the third, if we were lucky.”

With another away trip waiting next week, the manager touched on what will go into his plans.

“[There will be] A hell of a lot of discussions.
“There will be a big, big reaction believe me.” he added.

Mills also addressed the talk on social media suggesting his side to be title “favourites”.
“Forget all the noise about us going winning stuff, we’ve got to go and make sure performances are right.
“Then you have the right to go and be talked about winning stuff and maybe going and getting promoted.”