Salmoners slip to narrow defeat in intriguing encounter
Kenny Langford’s men got off to a decent start and took the lead with 22 minutes gone through a bizarre own goal before Owen Hough equalised three minutes later.
Leon Creech scored to put Darwen back in front five minutes into the second period but, as they did after falling behind that was Kevin Martin then won it for the visitors with a superb strike.
Darwen were looking to back up victory at Atherton and climb towards safety in a vital re-run of July’s season opener. South Liverpool were in a similar position themselves. Just goal difference separated them and Atherton.
The game got underway.
With less than five minutes in the clock, the Merseyside outfit had the ball in the net with less than five minutes in the clock but it was chalked off for a push in the area.
Darwen making a much better start to proceedings than they have of late – pressing and looking to force mistakes high up the pitch.
Darwen unlucky not to take the lead when ball broke to Chris Lynch in the box from a corner. The defender fired towards goal but his effort was blocked. Definitely the closest The Reds had come up to that point.
South Liverpool free-kick right on the left-hand corner of the Darwen penalty area. Looked soft. Winger Owen Hough whipped towards goal but the attempt flew over the bar.
Very clear game plan – centred around Steele receiving the ball with his back to goal playing Creech in over the top on the turn – had been adopted by The Salmoners.
With 22 minutes gone, Darwen took the lead through the most peculiar of circumstances. First, Creech was so unlucky not to score with a near-perfect chip over onrushing South Liverpool keeper Jacob Mccoy that hit the crossbar. When defender Phillip Ojapah tried to clear, he miscued into his own net. Just strange. 1-0.
Darwen’s joy was short-lived. Moments after, Owen Hough ran onto the end of a long ball and side-footed past Holden into the bottom right-hand corner. Very cool and controlled finish. 25 on the clock, 1-1.
South Liverpool had another goal chalked off, this time for offside. Alex Woodcock squared it to Mason Nevitt – the latter converted but the two forwards weren’t level and so Darwen were awarded a free-kick.
Darwen were enjoying quite a lot of the ball and created a good chance from their possession. Steele was unfortunate not to see his outside-of-the-boot poke nestle in the back of the net.
With the last action of note in the half, Clayton Gorman showed good tenacity in applying pressure on a South Liverpool man and winning the ball back on the by-line before testing the keeper from a tight angle.
HALF TIME: DARWEN 1-1 SOUTH LIVERPOOL
SECOND HALF
The first real chance of the half went the way of Anthony Peet’s side. Good effort from range by Alex Woodcock was firmly palmed away by Holden.
Not long after, goal-scorer Hough struck a free-kick from a similar area into the Darwen wall.
Steele whipped a corner right into the mixer at the front (left-hand) post and the ball came off The Salmoners’ talisman Leon Creech and ended up nestling in the bottom left-hand corner. 2-1.
The visitors then got back on terms Louis Gorman was left unmarked at the back (left-hand) post at a free-kick from the left and he had no issue nodding past Holden. Disappointing for Darwen, 2-2.
South Liverpool fullback James Davies put an inviting ball into the box from the left which only just evaded Nevitt at the back post.
Darwen still pushing and looking to take the lead for a third time without really forcing South Liverpool keeper Jacob Mccoy to make a save.
The visitors were now the ones pressing high up the pitch and they won a corner in the 63rd minute. Darwen were caught out with the deep ball again. It broke nicely to South Liverpool skipper Kevin Martin and he hammered the ball into the top right-hand corner via the crossbar. He couldn’t have hit it better. 2-3.
Alex Woodcock may have been disappointed with himself that he didn’t make it 2-4 when he was sent down the right-hand flank twice in as many South Liverpool attacks. The winger blasted over from the right-hand edge of the penalty area first time round before rolling a shot-come-cross wide of the left upright.
The energy that Darwen showed in the first 45 had faded. They were in desperate need of a spark to relight their game.
Hough dispossessed Ben Langford around 25 yards out from goal and unleashed a fierce strike from the edge of the ‘d’, which was pushed over by Holden. Substitute Gary Pollard then headed the resulting corner from the right wide of goal.
South Liverpool now looked pretty comfortable. Darwen looked a little spent and deflated.
On the 80-minute mark, Sam Holt received a red card after an incident involving both teams and the coaching staff of both teams unfolded.
With around five minutes of normal time remaining, South Liverpool then had another goal disallowed for offside – Kevin Cringle would have been the scorer. The visitors were taking advantage of their numbers advantage and tired Darwen bodies.
Darwen won a free-kick as they entered last chance saloon. Holden went up. Darwen needed a hero. Holden was brought down in the box and the referee completely ignored shouts for a penalty.
The referee blew his whistle for full time to put to bed what will go down as a frustrating night for Kenny Langford and his team.
FULL TIME: DARWEN 2-3 SOUTH LIVERPOOL
Darwen will be looking to bounce back by taking all three points from their other game in hand on 16th-placed Atherton LR when they travel to Chadderton on Saturday (29 January).
THE TEAMS
DARWEN
STARTING XI
1. Stefan Holden
2. Lewis Cumpsty
3. Samuel Holt
4. Christopher Smalley
5. Christopher Lynch
6. Sam Knowles
7. Ben Langford ©
8. Billy Flitcroft
9. Leon Creech
10. Ryan Steele
11. Clayton Gorman
SUBSTITUTES
12. Luke Jarrold
14. Tye Turner
15. Enoch Takpe
16. Sheikh Islam
17. Matthew Wright
SOUTH LIVERPOOL
STARTING XI
1. Jacob Mccoy
2. Cameron Glennon
3. James Davies
4. Kevin Martin ©
5. Phillip Ojapah
6. Fidan Hajdari
7. Kevin Cringle
8. Louis Gorman
9. Mason Nevitt
10. Alex Woodcock
11. Owen Hough
SUBSTITUTES
12. Andrew Lloyd
14. Stephen Doyle
15. Paul Bathgate
16. Gary Pollard
17. Joshua Bridge
ATT: 203
Lewis On Sport 
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