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AFC Liverpool v Darwen Saturday 9 August 2008

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15/9/2007 DARWEN 1 NORTON UNITED 2

Darwen were expecting a good result against the team from Staffordshire today, but lack of concentration at both ends of the game cost them dear.

The game was barely a minute old when a quick Norton move and hopeful cross from the right touchline was met by the diving head of Rigby, giving Joe Darwin in goal no chance. Darwen then started to pressure the Norton defence, and were rewarded in the twenty first minute. A corner from the right was over hit, but chased and caught by Lee Stott near the left corner flag. He turned, beat a defender, and looped the ball towards the near post, enabling Jon Stephenson to side-foot into the net.

A minute later Norton nearly took the lead again, as Shotton received the ball unmarked just outside the area, but hooked wide with only the keeper to beat. The lead could have again been extended ten minutes later had Shotton's downward header not hit the Darwen post and rebounded away to safety. They also had two free kicks that went close, one wide of the post, and the other that had to be helped over the bar by Joe Darwin.

Left back Lee Stott went off injured, leaving manager Steve Mullen with some adjustments to make, as there was no defensive player on the bench. Just before half-time, Dennis Hill manage to swerve a Darwen free kick around the wall, but Goodwin in goal saw it in good time and dropped on the shot.

Half Time: Darwen 1 Norton United 1

With five minutes of the second half gone, Goodwin in the Norton goal had to be alert to punch away a cross, with both home forwards pressing. Stuart Telfer recovered the ball near the right corner flag and put in a low cross along the edge of the goal area, but no Darwen player could get a touch.

Later in the half, a shot by Norton's Hughes from thirty yards bounced wickedly in front of Joe Darwin, and the goalminder had to react quickly to get a hand to the ball, which ballooned just over the bar. He then had to block a volley from Shotton, who had been put through.

The game seemed to be heading for a draw, when in the last minute Stuart Telfer was pressured by two Norton players inside his own half. Kinsey took the ball on a mazy run down the left flank, cut in, beat a defender, then fired a volley past Darwin, which hit the underside of the bar and found the back of the net.

Full Time: Darwen 1 Norton United 2

ATTENDANCE: 88

REFEREE: A Worthington
ASSISTANTS: A Sidat, A Whittle

GOALS:

Norton United: Rigby (1), Kinsey (89)
Darwen: Stephenson (21)

TEAMS:

Norton United

1. Gary Goodwin
2. Marvin Johnson
3. David Davies
4. Jonathan Jackson
5. Mark Chandler
6. Jonathan Barrass
7. Philip Parkes
8. Mark McDonald
9. Liam Shotton
10. Daniel Hughes
11. Liam Rigby
12. Thomas Laruso (replaced Davies, 57 minutes)
14. Matthew Kinsey (replaced Hughes, 79 minutes)
15. Thomas Winkle (replaced Parkes, 46 minutes)
16. Steven Collough
17. Adam Phillips

Darwen

1. Joseph Darwin
2. Matt Anderton
3. Lee Stott
4. Daniel Finch
5. Craig Chadwick
6. Martin Parkes
7. Neil Almond
8. Stuart Telfer
9. Ben Stanford
10. Jon Stephenson
11. Dennis Hill
12. Dominic Slaven (replaced Stott, 30 minutes)
14. Matt Howarth (replaced Stanford, 61 minutes)
15. Paul Davies
16. Nathan Worrell
17. Steve Mullen