Match Report

Darwen started their August Bank Holiday Double-Header of away games with a trip to The Jim Fowler Memorial Ground to face league newcomers, Euxton Villa.

Villa had adapted to life very Well in the North West Counties and become a surprise package in their opening league games, winning their first Four league games, including a notable 3-1 win against Runcorn Town in their last outing.

Darwen on the other hand, have had a shaky start to the campaign. The Salmoners have only picked up one win at home to Steeton and were coming off a dismal 5-2 defeat at Daisy Hill. For this game they were without regular starters Sam Knowles and Ryan Steele but were buoyed with the return of defender, Danny Ashburner who was making his first start after a long lay off with injury.

Darwen in their change Blue Kit started on the front foot and right away had the ball in the back of the net within the first minute. Gary Basterfield bombed down the left hand side, he put a delicate cross over for Rio Wilson-Heyes who headed home. To the bemusement of the crowd, the linesman flagged for offside and denied the away side taking a quickfire lead.

Darwen didn’t stop the pressure and a minute later, Alfie Carmichael unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area which hit the crossbar. Within the opening minutes the hosts were right up against it.

What came next was the ultimate sucker-punch. On Five minutes with their first attack of the match, Euxton Villa took the lead as Nathan Parish rifled a shot in the area past Lenny Fieldhouse.

On Twenty Minutes, Parish doubled his tally for the home side and put them 2-0 up.

Darwen goalkeeper, Fieldhouse misjudged a header on the edge of his box and was punished for his mistake as Parish capitalised and slid the ball into an empty net.

On the half hour mark, Darwen were temporarily ordered to play with Ten men as David Lynch was sin-binned for dissent.

This didn’t damage the visitors resolve as Martin Middlehurst took aim from 25 yards and his shot beat Euxton keeper, Joshua Brooks , who got a wrist to the effort but couldn’t keep it from ending in the back of the net. A lifeline, 2-1.

Darwen dominated the rest of the half and had some half chances to restore parity before the interval. Villa would lead 2-1 at the break.

Darwen, backed by a good away following started the second period in the same vain as the first. Five minutes after the restart, a cross diagonal ball from Danny Ashburner was headed at the back post by Wilson-Heyes into the path of Carmichael, who calmly headed home the equaliser.

Darwen had completed the comeback.

For the next Twenty minutes, the home side sprung back into life but squandered some decent chances in good areas but the Darwen defence remained strong and determined not to go behind again.

Both sides conducted a flurry substitutions and these changes seemed to take the impetus out of the game meaning the match eventually petered out into a stalemate.

The Referees full time whistle brought and end to proceedings. Euxton Villa finally dropped points for the first time this season, but continued their unbeaten streak. Darwen picked up their first away point of the season and will now concentrate on an away tie on Bank Holiday Monday at Garstang.