Darwen Football Club Home

AFC Liverpool v Darwen Saturday 9 August 2008

More Fixtures

22/3/2008 VODKAT LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ASHTON TOWN 2 DARWEN 0

Darwen fielded four fresh faces as they look to rebuild the side under new player/manager Dennis Hill. The additional squad members were Oliver Telford, Craig Banks, Matthew Prendergast, and Dale Bullen.

The visitors almost took the lead on ten minutes as Louis Wilkes latched onto a through ball, but keeper Haseldine blocked the shot on the edge of the goal area. Craig Banks then burst through the static Ashton defence to blast a shot from thirty yards just over the bar.

The home side’s first clear chance emerged on the half hour as a Dunne strike forced a good diving save from Nathan Worrell.

In a half of few chances, the first goal came as a surprise on the stroke of half time. A corner from the right was hit low into the Darwen area and went by several players until it landed at the feet of Dunne near the far post, who had the simple task of toe poking the ball home.

Half Time: Ashton Town 1 Darwen 0

The Salmoners were nearly level almost from the restart. Matt Anderton found his run to the edge of the area unopposed and launched a powerful shot towards goal. Haseldine flung himself into the air and managed somehow to get a hand to the ball and deflect it away from goal.

However, after a bright start Darwen found themselves further behind on fifty six minutes, when a similar corner to the one at the end of the first half found its way into the path of McNally, who hooked the ball across the line.

The away side were unlucky ten minutes later, as a shot on the turn by Paul Mashiter hit the post with the keeper beaten. A strike by Dunne at the other end was pushed away to safety by Nathan Worrell.

Near the end, a cross field pass found two Darwen players unmarked. Louis Wilkes gathered the ball and raced to the edge of the area, but should have done better than shoot wide of the right post with only Haseldine in goal to beat.

Full Time: Ashton Town 2 Darwen 0

ATTENDANCE: 38

GOALS:
Ashton Town: Dunne (44), McNally (56)
Darwen: N/A

MAN OF THE MATCH:
Ashton Town: Paul Crewe
Darwen: Nathan Worrell

TEAMS:

Ashton Town

1. James Haseldine
2. Simon Howard
3. Michael Wood
4. Gareth Davies
5. Scott McGowan
6. Paul Crewe
7. Lee Skett
8. Alex Dunne
9. Chris McNally
10. Martin Rigby (Capt.)
11. Matt Gregory
12. Mike Rhead (replaced Davies, 71 minutes)
14. Barry Schofield (replaced Dunne, 79 minutes)
15. Colin Wilson (replaced McGowan, 73 minutes)
16. Steven Fawcett

Darwen

1. Nathan Worrell
2. Oliver Telford
3. Paul Walker
4. Sam Holt
5. Matt Anderton (Capt.)
6. Craig Banks
7. Matt Haworth
8. Liam Denning
9. Louis Wilkes
10. Dean Clarke
11. Paul Mashiter
12. Matthew Prendergast (replaced Haworth, 57 minutes)
14. Dale Bullen (replaced Mashiter, 79 minutes)
15. Mick Newton
16. Dennis Hill (replaced Holt, 83 minutes)

Comments from Dennis Hill:

The team from now until the end of the season will be changing from week to week, with different players coming in from other teams. I’m not really bothered about results at the minute, but performances. I am looking to shape a team for next season. Oliver Telford and Craig Banks have come from Bamber Bridge. I had a look at Sam Holt and Nathan Worrell today. I’ve not made my mind up with the keepers yet, so everybody will get a chance. The Fogartys are on holiday. Matt Woods is a new signing. He will be here next week. We’ve got a lad called Sam Fairhurst from Leigh RMI, a central midfielder. So you see there will be several changes next week. It’s all about building for next season.

Regarding today’s match, it wasn’t a very good game. We created a few chances, and it could have gone either way. The goals they scored were lucky goals really. I was mad with the team at half time for the way we conceded the first goal. If they had put it in the top corner from twenty five yards, you would hold your hands up. It wasn’t the best of corners and somehow went through to the back post, and the lad just knocked it in.

It’s organisation we want and that will come. It’s a new back four, and different from last week. The thing I take from this game is that we did create some chances, and on another day, they could have gone in, for example when Paul Mashiter hit the post. Louis Wilkes had a couple of chances and we had one cleared off the line. They had two or three chances and put two away.

Overall I’m not too disappointed. At the end of the day it’s about performances, getting the players and getting the balance right for next season.