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AFC Liverpool v Darwen Saturday 9 August 2008

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26/12/2007 VODKAT LEAGUE DIVISION TWO DARWEN 1 PADIHAM 1

The first meeting this season between the local rivals ended in a draw. Darwen were still missing several squad members, whilst the away side had some former Salmoners in their line up, notably ex skipper Neil Almond.

The home side should have taken the lead after fourteen minutes, when a blocked shot from Matt Haworth fell at the feet of Reece Rowinski a few yards out from goal, but he somehow blasted his effort over the bar.

Darwen did take the lead six minutes later. A free kick from twenty five yards out by Matt Haworth hit the underside of the crossbar, and bounced into the back of the net. King in the Padiham goal may have been unsighted but was caught by the quality of the strike.

The home side had the ball in the net ten minutes later, when Matt Anderton headed powerfully home from a corner. However, the referee disallowed the goal for pushing by the Darwen captain.

Two minutes later, a Matt Haworth free kick from the left side of the area was well saved by King. And just before half time, another Haworth special curled dangerously into the area. A Darwen foot got on the end of the cross, and only an instinctive block by the Padiham keeper kept the effort out of the net. Thus ended a half dominated by the home side.

Half Time: Darwen 1 Padiham 0

The second half started very quietly, but a well taken goal after ten minutes broke the silence. Padiham won the ball in midfield and Eatock was found. He ran on, sidestepping the challenge of Chris Pearson, and from twenty yards out hit a curving ball towards the right side of goal. Nathan Worrell managed to get a hand to the strike, but could only deflect it onto the post, and into the net.

The goal brought Padiham more into the game, and they put some pressure on the home defence with a succession of corners. Darwen still posed threats up front and King managed to palm away a downward header from Jon Stephenson. From the corner, Anderton’s slanting header went just wide of the post.

On seventy minutes, a Padiham corner was headed clear by Anderton and the ball fell to Morrison, who struck a shot from fully twenty five yards out. It dipped over Worrell in goal, hit the bar and bounced out to Almond, who proceeded to head the ball over the bar from five yards. A minute later, at the other end, keeper King had to be alert to get hands to a Matt Haworth effort, and divert it for a corner.

The final chance fell to the visitors, as Pickup rose well to a corner but put his header over the bar.

Full Time: Darwen 1 Padiham 1

ATTENDANCE: 146

REFEREE: N/A
ASSISTANTS: N/A

GOALS:

Darwen: Haworth (20)
Padiham: Eatock (55)

MAN OF THE MATCH:

Padiham: Dave Holt
Darwen: Matt Haworth

TEAMS:

Padiham
1. Gavin King
2. Mark Derbyshire
3. Ben Walker
4. Stuart Telfer
5. Steve Pickup
6. Paul Walker
7. Neil Almond
8. Damien Morrison (Capt.)
9. Dave Holt
10. Dave Eatock
11. Paddy Lauber
12. Andy Howarth
14. Tom Pilkersgill
15. Louis Wilkes
16. Steve Wilkes

Darwen
1. Nathan Worrell
2. Chris Pearson
3. Richmond Botchey
4. Matt Anderton (Capt.)
5. Martin Parkes
6. Paul Mashiter
7. Jordan Hulme
8. Dom Slaven
9. Matt Haworth
10. Reece Rowinski
11. Courtney Crooks
12. Jon Stephenson (replaced Rowinski, 60 minutes)
14. John Dickinson (replaced Pearson, 75 minutes)
15. Joe Darwin
17. Ash Reece (replaced Mashiter, 80 minutes)

26/12/2007 VODKAT LEAGUE DIVISION TWO DARWEN 1 PADIHAM 1

Comments of manager Wayne Watkins:

I think that in the first forty five minutes we dominated every area of the field. I think they rode their luck completely in the first half and were lucky only to go in one-nil down at half time. I think they should have been four or five nil down, with the game dead and buried.

In the second half, we allowed ourselves to play their game, which was just to boot the ball forward, and try and be big and strong and rough people up. We let ourselves down slightly in the second half, as we didn’t continue to play football as we did in the first half.

Their tactics were to smash it forward and nick a goal, which they did. We continued to press forward looking for the second goal, we were that confident, that dominant in the game, and we just fell asleep for those thirty seconds for them to have a shot on goal and put it in.

They had quite a few corners during the game. The average age of their players is five to ten years older than ours, and teams like that, technically not as good as us, will try and win set pieces and corners to try and nick a goal.

That’s all they had in their game, the physical side, and that will do you for a short period of time, and you might nick the odd result, but it’s not going to work if you’re building a side for the long term future.

At the end of the day we got a result, we got a point, but the game should have been dead and buried, and the lads know that themselves.