AFC Darwen 3 Barnoldswick Town 1

For the second time in three North West Counties League Premier Division games Town were looking to bag another double on Wednesday night.

They were facing opponents who had lost their last five games conceding 24 goals along the way. They had also lost their best strikers so they should have been ripe for the taking.

Town welcomed back Joe Gaughan into the starting line-up after he missed the 184 Northwich match on Saturday. Drizzle cascaded down for the entire match which made for a slick surface.

Darwen were the first to show with Kyle Lonsdale latching onto a Christopher Ridehalgh half clearance and shooting just wide of Jordan Gidley’s left-hand post. Darwen continued to press and another poor clearance out of the Town defence saw Neil Prince have a shot blocked, the ball ran to Jonathan Hession who went past two Town defenders before seeing his shot blocked for a corner.

Town’s first shot at goal came after 13 minutes, Gaughan unleashing a fierce effort from 30 yards out which Ben Proctor in the Darwen goal tipped over his crossbar.

Town had a let off two minutes later when pressure from Darwen saw the ball bobbing around in the Town penalty area.Darwen had a goal disallowed for a dangerous obverhead kick.

Town had a chance after 22 minutes when a long Gidley clearance was flicked on by Thomas Henderson to Harry Thompson but he drove his shot well over the bar.

Darwen took the lead on 32 minutes when a long ball split the Town defence right down the middle, Hession latched onto it and slotted his shot past Gidley.

Town were in complete disarray and they were lucky that Hession shot wide when well placed five minutes later.

Just before half time Gidley was brought into action again to make a good save again from Hession. And right on half time Hepple shot wide.

Town made a brighter start to the second half with Gaughan's deflected shot forcing a save from Proctor while Carl Ellerton shot wide from a good position.

Town made a substitution after 63 minutes with John Beckwith replacing Henderson. Three minutes later Beckwith forced Proctor into diving to tip a shot round his post.

Town were now looking better and Thompson had a shot saved by Proctor two minutes later. Darwen then took Town old boy Martin Broderick off and replaced him with Declan Cunliffe.

Town were putting pressure on the Darwen defence but although shots from Gaughan and Beckwith were on target they were blocked by good Darwen defending. Both teams then made their last substitutions, Bradley Brearley replacing Hession (80) and Ben Gorman taking over from Ellerton (83).

Town had a great chance to equalise, a ball played into the six-yard box saw Mark Threlfall slide in almost on the line but he somehow scooped it over the bar.

Two minutes later a mistake in the Town defence saw Hepple streaking through and was brought down. Hepple picked himself up and netted the penalty.

As the game drifted into injury time Town were given a life line as Darwen scored an own goal from a corner. But the last action came at the Town end as substitute Brearley scored.