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9/2/2008 VODKAT LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ECCLESHALL 2 DARWEN 3

This was a game of two halves, as a dismal first half performance by Darwen turned into an excellent second half showing against the bottom of the league side.

The visitors were missing skipper Matt Anderton, with Dom Slaven taking over the captain’s armband. Martin Parkes no longer figured in the team after leaving the club for Padiham. Manager Wayne Watkins could not be present and assistant Rob Philps was in charge.

The pitch was tricky to play any decent football on due to the wet conditions of the last few weeks, and this may have explained why nothing happened of any note during the first twenty minutes.

A chance then appeared for Eccleshall when Paul Walker lost the ball in midfield to Spence. He took the ball on to the edge of the area, but blasted his effort high and wide. De-Matteo was equally guilty in firing a shot over from a good Eccleshall free kick on the left.

The home side should have gone ahead shortly after. Darwen failed to clear a free kick from the right, and the ball landed at the feet of Garratt, who proceeded to balloon his effort over from five yards out.

Eccleshall did take the lead on thirty three minutes. Spence was allowed to run down the wing and cut into the penalty area, and his low shot was deflected off a Darwen leg and into the net.

They deservedly went further ahead four minutes later. A good build up down the right found Adlington in front of goal. As Paul Walker rushed out to defend, he slipped on the sandy surface. The Eccleshall forward shot through the defender’s legs, giving Joe Darwin in goal less time to react, the ball finding the left hand corner of the net.

Half Time: Eccleshall 2 Darwen 0

It was a poor first half performance by the Salmoners, who didn’t trouble the Eccleshall goal, and at half time the away supporters were concerned about how big the margin of defeat would be. Matt Haworth replaced Doug Ward at the start of the second half.

The home side were relaxed coming out for the second half, and paid the price when Reece Rowinski won a heading duel with Hammonds, then headed over the advancing keeper Hackney into the net.

This goal, and the substitution of striker Jon Stephenson in the fifty fourth minute, added to Darwen’s attacking options, and they started to cause problems to the home defence. The equaliser came four minutes later, when a Stephenson cross found Rowinski, who headed past Hackney.

On seventy two minutes, De-Matteo received the ball from a corner but blasted over the Darwen bar as two defenders closed on him. A few minutes later, Joe Darwin in goal had to be alert to fend away a sliding shot from substitute Maitland.

Chris Pearson went close with a powerful header from a Matt Haworth free kick, as Darwen continued to build up the pressure, and their efforts were rewarded on 79 minutes when Jon Stephenson beat his defender and put a low cross into the box. Poor defending caused the ball to fall to Reece Rowinski, whose strike went in off the left post, thus completing his hat trick.

The home side came back into the game after this, but were unable to find a way through the Darwen defence, magnificently marshalled by Dom Slaven.

A few minutes before the final whistle, Rob Philps took exception to a sliding tackle by Garratt on a Darwen player, and kicked the ball at him. This caused both benches and a few players to get involved in scuffles, ending with the Darwen assistant manager and the physio of Eccleshall being dismissed by referee Green.

Full Time: Eccleshall 2 Darwen 3

ATTENDANCE: 52

REFEREE: Mr M Green
ASSISTANTS: Mr J Gardener, Mr P Dean

GOALS:

Eccleshall: Own Goal (33), Adlington (37)
Darwen: Rowinski (49), (58), (79)

MAN OF THE MATCH:

Eccleshall: Dwayne Spence
Darwen: Reece Rowinski

TEAMS:

Eccleshall
1. Rob Hackney
2. Mark Mapperson
3. Danny Stevens (Capt.)
4. Liam Kerrigan
5. Paul Ridley
6. Matt Hammonds
7. Rob Adlington
8. Shaun Brown
9. Dwayne Spence
10. Andy Garratt
11. Russell De-Matteo
12. Steve Brunt
14. Ian Maitland (replaced Brown, 72 minutes)
15. Barry Weston
16. Paul Cox
17. Richard Johnson

Darwen
1. Joe Darwin
2. John Dickinson
3. Chris Pearson
4. Richmond Botchey
5. Paul Walker
6. Doug Ward
7. Jordan Hulme
8. Dom Slaven (Capt.)
9. Ashley Reece
10. Reece Rowinski
11. Courtney Crooks
12. Jon Stephenson (replaced Walker, 54 minutes)
14. Matt Haworth (replaced Ward, 46 minutes)