Match Report

After defeat in a Nine goal thriller to Runcorn Town, The Salmoners made a triple signing announcement ahead of kick off. Finn Devenney, Mamudu Touray Touray and Brandon Lonsdale were the new faces in the squad with the latter having to settle for a place on the bench.

The opening stages were pretty much a non-event as both teams struggled to break each other down but the hosts managed to take the lead with the first effort on target in the Eighteenth minute. Jack Lever managed to sneak the ball home at the back post to give the Yellow’s who are flying in the league the perfect start. 1-0

It didn’t take Darwen long to respond and they were level just Four minutes later. A Gary Basterfield corner was met by Leon Creech. A nice composed and controlled volley was converted into the net past Bickerstaffe as parity was restored. 1-1. This was Creech’s Eighth goal of the campaign and his 82nd for the club.

After the goal, Rovers pushed to re-gain the league. A header was glanced wide by Lewis Rawsthorn and minutes later Kyle Robinson-Murray hit the post. A wake up call for the Darwen defence.

Darwen tightened up their backline after this scare and grew back into the contest. A Gary Basterfield free-kick in the Thirty-Second minute was comfortably saved and Darwen controlled the last knockings of the first half but the sides went in all square.

The Salmoners in their pink kit came out fighting in the Second period. ‘Papiss’ Touray Touray became a danger on the right wing and Akim Samms looked lively. Samms just before the hour mark managed to evade an Atherton defender and sting the palms of the LR goalkeeper.

In the Sixty-Second minute, Sam Holt sent a looping header goal-bound but it was tipped over excellently at the last moment by Bickerstaffe. Just two minutes later, Gary Basterfield unleashed a stunning volley from around Twenty-Five Yards out and it grazed the top of the crossbar.

Unable to make their possession count, the hosts stung the Salmoners in the Seventy-Second minute. Substitute Daniel Lenehan tapped-in the ball at the back post to put Atherton back in front. 2-1.

Darwen fought tooth and nail to salvage a point in the dying embers of the match. They thought the moment had come in the Eighty-Ninth minute when Leon Creech got on the end of a Kit Lloyd cross. The talisman found space and powered an effort towards goal but an out of this world save from Bickerstaffe palmed the ball away to safety.

In Injury time, Nathan Bond was red carded in a bizarre set of events leaving the travelling Salmoners perplexed with the dismissal.

The full time whistle sounded around Crilly Park and the Darwen’s players endeavours didn’t go unnoticed as all the travelling fans stayed behind to clap the team off. On another day it could’ve been a totally different result.

The Salmoners go again next weekend as they entertain Garstang at the Anchor Ground.