Match Report

Darwen hosted their third pre-season game in midweek against Stalybridge Celtic, where they picked up a 2-1 win with goals from Ryan Talbot and Bruno De Almeida Severino.

The Salmoners maintained their unbeaten run in this summer’s fixture list with a controlled performance against a side two steps higher than them in the non-league pyramid.

The opening 15 minutes at the Multevo Anchor Ground set the pace for the rest of the match, with the hosts coming out confidently in possession and seeing the bulk of the chances.

Josh Abbott and Connor Hughes had shots come close early on in the game, with the latest debutant Jack Wright’s ball-playing ability on show to set-up the second of Abbott’s chances.

Not long after Stalybridge looked to have settled in the game Darwen took the lead, with Ryan Talbot making it three goals in three games for the club.

A defensive error allowed Hughes to run free down the left hand side, before finding Talbot with all the time in the world to slow his run and meet the cross, slotting the ball into the bottom left with 26 minutes on the clock.

An early substitution saw Mohamed Wassa return from injury and inject his usual style into the game, almost winning a penalty only two minutes after the opener following a good piece of link-up play between himself, Severino and Pawel Zuk.

Despite the positive start to the half Stalybridge found an equaliser just five minutes on from Talbot breaking the deadlock.

Mike Koral’s cross from in the home side’s 18-yard-box was intercepted by Charlie Llyod, but the centre-half’s block fell kindly to Elliot Rokka, the forward rolling the ball into the bottom right corner to level the game.

Ruben Jerome should have put the visitors ahead towards the end of the half, with the striker tapping wide of the post from point blank range after another Koral cross put the chance on a plate.

Darwen’s patient build-up play continued to create chances as the first half closed out but the scoreline was kept even into the break.

Both teams came out swinging in the second half, with a number of chances going amiss at both ends.

Mohamed Wassa came close with two shots in quick succession, one catching an unfortunate deflection onto the left post before firing another effort wide from Hughes’ pass on the next attack.

Severino eventually found Darwen’s luck in the 55th minute, robbing Greg Wilkinson on the defender’s 18-yard line before calming himself to wrap the ball around the Stalybridge goalkeeper.

Jack Wright’s stand-out moment from his debut kept his new club ahead five minutes after retaking the lead, chasing back to make an excellent last-man tackle which summed up his dominant display at the back.

The remaining half an hour saw Leighton Mills’ side keep a step ahead of their higher-division opponents, enjoying the vast majority of possession as they saw the victory out.

Akim Samms burst forward for the last chance of the game to find Kit Lloyd at the back post, but the centre-midfielder’s effort was blocked off the line for a corner.

A highly positive encounter ended with another Darwen victory at home, with almost the entire first-team squad in action on the night in addition to a returning trialist.

The Salmoners will end their pre-season on July 19 when they welcome the reigning Division One North champions, Atherton LR, back to the Anchor Ground.