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AFC Liverpool v Darwen Saturday 9 August 2008

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3/11/2007 VODKAT LEAGUE DIVISION 2 CASTLETON GABRIELS 2 DARWEN 5

Darwen got back to winning ways with this victory over the side from Rochdale, despite having to field a good number of the youth team, due to senior squad injuries and absences. The victory keeps them in a mid table position.

Very little happened for the first twenty five minutes of the game until Darwen’s Jordan Hulme raced on to a through ball. Canning in goal rushed out to meet the forward and pushed him to the right of the area towards the goal line, but Hulme managed to squeeze the ball into the gap between keeper and goal. The ball bounced into the net off the left post to put the visitors one up.

Ten minutes later, Castleton’s Russell missed a chance to equalise, as he outpaced the away defence and chipped a ball over the Darwen goal minder, but also over the bar. Minutes later, Pheby also found a way through the Darwen rearguard, but Joe Darwin had anticipated the run and came out quickly to smother the ball.

The Salmoners looked to increase their lead after 40 minutes. Jordan Hulme flicked the ball over Hicks and struck it towards goal. A defender’s clearance fell to Courtney Crooks, but his hurried drive passed over the bar.

On 42 minutes, after some good work by Russell on the right in outfoxing two defenders, he delivered the ball across to the far side where Evans was waiting. The Castleton striker side stepped Danny Finch, but screwed his shot wide.

The home side equalised two minutes later. From a Darwen clearance, Hicks hit a fierce volley from thirty yards, which crashed against the angle of the post. The ball rebounded kindly into the path of Pheby, who had the easiest of tap-ins.

Castleton had a chance to lead before the break. Russell broke through the Darwen defence and lofted the ball over Joe Darwin, only to see it hit the post. Pheby recovered the ball and set up Evans, whose effort was off target.

Half Time: Castleton Gabriels 1 Darwen 1

Jon Stephenson came on for Richard Fogarty at the start of the second half, and within two minutes, it was his pass to Paul Mashiter that resulted in the Darwen number nine side footing a shot off the post and into the net.

The home side upped the tempo and Joe Darwin had to save efforts from Russell and Watkinson. Ward had a great chance when clean through on goal, but his poor effort passed both Darwen keeper and post.

Danger man Russell set up the home side’s equaliser on 72 minutes, with a great run down the right and low cross into the area. Hayes was first to the ball and squeezed his effort in off the left post.

The game looked a fairly even contest at this stage, but the goal that was to change the game came five minutes later. Matt Haworth took a free kick halfway inside the Castleton half and swung the ball into the area. It was met with a bullet header from Matt Anderton, giving Canning in goal no chance.

The home side now had to increasingly resort to an attacking formation to get something from the game. This led to gaps appearing at the back. Substitute Jenkins went on a mazy run, beating defenders, and rounding Darwin in goal. Matt Anderton managed to get back to block the shot on the goal line.

At the end of normal time, another Castleton attack was cleared, and the ball reached Darwen substitute Richmond Botchey on the halfway line. Only Woods was back in defence, and was outpaced by Botchey down the right flank. The cross from Botchey was met by Jon Stephenson running into the area, who volleyed the ball home.

Just before full time, the scoring was completed with Botchey again picking up a clearance, and this time there were four Darwen forwards to two Castleton defenders. Paul Crompton had joined the attack and was put through down the left. He moved swiftly into the Castleton area, and once Canning in goal had started to move forward, slotted the ball past him.

Full Time: Castleton Gabriels 2 Darwen 5

ATTENDANCE: 42

REFEREE: V Baldwin
ASSISTANTS: J Cooney, G Andrew

GOALS:

Castleton Gabriels: Pheby (44), Hayes (72)
Darwen: Hulme (26), Mashiter (46), Anderton (77), Stephenson (90), Crompton (90)

MAN OF THE MATCH:

Darwen: Paul Crompton

TEAMS:

Castleton Gabriels
1. Mark Canning
2. Graham Hicks
3. James Wood
4. Matthew Jackson
5. Dean Watkinson
6. Steve McCann (Capt.)
7. Todd Hayes
8. Andy Pheby
9. Mike Ward
10. Christian Evans
11. Matthew Russell
12. Paul Davies
14. Nathan Eastmand
15. David Jenkins

Darwen
1. Joe Darwin
2. Chris Pearson
3. Danny Finch
4. Matt Anderton (Capt.)
5. Paul Crompton
6. Matt Haworth
7. Martin Parkes
8. Richard Fogarty
9. Paul Mashiter
10. Jordan Hulme
11. Courtney Crooks
12. John Dickinson (replaced Pearson, 68 minutes)
14. Ashley Reece
15. Richmond Botchey (replaced Mashiter, 68 minutes)
16. Jon Stephenson (replaced Fogarty, 46 minutes)

Comments of Darwen Manager Wayne Watkins:

“I was more than pleased with the result. It was a good performance. More pleased with the fact that we were having shots on target. Last couple of games we’ve had possession and controlled the game in certain areas, but haven’t penetrated the final third.

We made the substitution at half time as they had two big centre halves and we had two small strikers, so we thought we would switch it around to have a tall target man in Jon to help Paul.

Jordan Hulme on the right wing had a fantastic game for a sixteen year old, and scored what is arguably the goal of the season.”