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8/3/2008 VODKAT LEAGUE DIVISION TWO PADIHAM 5 DARWEN 0

In a match played under appalling conditions in the first half, Darwen were blitzed in a twenty five minute spell, from which they never fully recovered. Padiham played some good football, especially in the first half, although they were playing into the wind and driving rain.

The Salmoners were without Captain Matt Anderton through injury, and current leading goal scorer Reece Rowinski due to suspension. In the home side, Neil Almond, Martin Parkes, and Stuart Telfer had also played for Darwen this season. New signing Paul Barrett was to make a dramatic debut.

Darwen were again playing a high defensive line, and were caught out as early as the twelfth minute when Barrett ran on to a high boot upfield from the Padiham defence. Nathan Worrell advanced from goal to punt the ball away, but hit it straight at Barrett, who chased down the rebound to put the ball into the empty net. Three minutes later, Richmond Botchey mishit a clearance which landed at the feet of Almond on the edge of the area. His immediate strike whistled past the right hand post.

Halfway through the first half, Worrell dropped a high ball, and after a goal mouth mêlée, the Darwen defence managed to scramble the ball away for a corner. But from the resulting kick, Barrett rose to beat the keeper to the ball and back head it into the net.

Three minutes later, Padiham went three up as referee Michael Bonage spotted a Darwen handball in the area. Barrett completed a first half hat trick with a well struck penalty.

The away side’s first meaningful efforts on goal did not appear until the last fifteen minutes of the half. A free kick from the left was headed on by Paul Walker, who had King in goal struggling to get to the ball and was relieved to see it pass by the post. Jordan Hulme’s effort from the edge of the area cleared the bar, and a Richmond Botchey strike from thirty yards out produced a splendid diving save from the Padiham keeper.

The home side missed a great chance to increase their lead when Morrison again breached the away defence and raced towards goal. As Nathan Worrell came out to try and narrow the angle, the Padiham striker pushed the ball past him, but only succeeded in hitting the post. He got to the rebound first, but with the Darwen defence now closing him down, his second attempt went wide.

Just before half time, Jordan Hulme outpaced two home defenders to the ball but over ran it as he entered the penalty area. Keeper King clashed with the oncoming players, and the ball ran loose, but one of the defenders recovered quickest to boot the ball away to safety.

Half Time: Padiham 3 Darwen 0

Weather conditions improved greatly for the resumption as the rain stopped and the wind eased. Darwen brought on two substitutes, and one of them, Matt Williams, was immediately in action. An impressive twenty yard drive had King in the Padiham goal at full stretch, just managing to get fingertips on the ball to push it round the post for a corner.

On seventy five minutes, Padiham substitute Fletcher raced through the Darwen defence and into the area. He looked certain to score, but somehow Richmond Botchey managed to catch up with the striker to put in a great last ditch tackle.

The visitors were now putting on a better show in this half, and slowly increasing pressure on the Padiham defence, without really creating any clear cut chances, but then went further behind as they were caught pushing too far upfield. Almond raced onto a attacking misplaced pass, and headed down the left touch line. His cross field chip found two unmarked home players, one of whom, Morrison, slid the ball past the helpless Nathan Worrell in goal.

Darwen’s misery was complete five minutes later, as another Almond cross from the left found the unmarked Habiak who tapped the ball in from close range. Just before the end, a shot-cum-cross from the right by-line by Morrison had to be tipped over the bar by the Darwen goal minder, who then had to drop down to his feet to clear the subsequent corner.

Full Time: Padiham 5 Darwen 0

ATTENDANCE: 106

REFEREE: Michael Bonage (Preston)
ASSISTANTS: W Slinger (Haslingden), C Slinger (Haslingden)

GOALS:

Padiham: Barrett (12, 25, 28), Morrison (80), Habiak (85)

MAN OF THE MATCH:

Padiham: Paul Barrett
Darwen: Richmond Botchey

TEAMS:

Padiham
1. Gavin King
2. Mark Derbyshire
3. Jimmy Persechino
4. Stuart Telfer (Capt.)
5. Steve Pickup
6. Paul Walker
7. Martin Parkes
8. Neil Almond
9. Paul Barrett
10. Wayne Morrison
11. Tom Pickersgill
12. Andy Howarth (replaced Barrett, 57 minutes)
14. Martin Fletcher (replaced Pickersgill, 70 minutes)
15. John Habiak (replaced Telfer, 76 minutes)

Darwen
1. Nathan Worrell
2. John Dickinson
3. Richmond Botchey
4. Chris Pearson
5. Doug Ward
6. Paul Walker
7. Jordan Hulme
8. James Holden (Capt.)
9. Matt Haworth
10. Lewis Barlow
11. Courtney Crooks
12. Ashley Reece (replaced Haworth, 70 minutes)
14. Sam Holt (replaced Ward, 45 minutes)
15. Matt Williams (replaced Hulme, 45 minutes)
17. Joe Darwin