Lewis On Sport

Last-minute winner sees Darwen come from behind to edge past Daisy Hill

A last-minute winner from Leon Creech saw Darwen come from behind to seal a narrow 2-1 victory over Division One North strugglers Daisy Hill.

After a fairly slow and uneventful first half, the game sprang into life in the second 45, with the visitors going in front on the break through Caelan Kilheeney not long before the hour mark.

Ryan McKenna equalised for Darwen with a close-range header, before Creech scored his 19th goal of the season to win the game for Darwen.

The first opportunity of the game fell the way of The Salmoners. McKenna flicked across Leon Creech forced an opening for himself by wriggling away from his man, but his shot was blocked and Kier Barry in the Daisy Hill goal collected comfortably.

With just under a quarter of an hour played, Creech had the ball in the back of the net. Darwen’s number nine volleyed home from the edge of the penalty area, referee James Birch-ford had already given a free-kick against him for a push, however.

In the 24th minute, Louis Hood made a superb double save to deny Josh Tinker and then Sam Ogundare from opening the scoring after somewhat of a goalmouth scramble had ensued in Darwen’s six-yard box.

Hood was on hand again soon after, palming a header from Lucas Schofield behind for a corner. Schofield will have been disappointed not to give The Daises the lead here.

Darwen responded with a venomous Rio-Wilson-Heyes effort that whistled just past the left-hand post.

The last chance of the half came from a Wilson-Heyes free-kick. The midfielder stood up a delivery to the back post which Chris Smalley met, but the full-back couldn’t trouble Parry, nodding well wide of the upright.

HALF-TIME: DARWEN 0-0 DAISY HILL

A lacklustre first half from The Salmoners in which the away side had created the better chances.

SECOND HALF

It was almost the perfect start to the second period for Darwen, as Parry tipped over a sweetly-struck attempt from Wilson-Heyes.

A rare Daisy Hill counter attack led to the deadlock being broken. Jamie Ramwell burst down the left-hand side and cut back to Kilheeney, who finished into the left corner with composure. 0-1. 57 minutes on the clock.

The goal seemed to stun Darwen as after taking the lead, the visitors enjoyed a spell of dominance in which Kenny Langford’s men struggled to get out of their own half.

Hood made a crucial intervention to claim the ball from the feet of Daises forward Ramwell after the visitors’ number 7 had been sent through on goal by Harry Hatton.

With 12 minutes of normal time remaining, Darwen got themselves level. Alfie Carmichael curled in a pin-point cross from Ryan McKenna, and The Reds’ number 10 headed home beyond Parry to set up a grand-stand finish. 1-1.

Darwen had their tails up after the equalising goal but they were struggling to create a clear-cut chance.

But then, in the second minute of injury time, Ryan McKenna chested down a long ball over the top and laid-off to Creech on the edge of the 18-yard box. The talisman placed his strike to perfection, as the ball nestled in the bottom right corner. 2-1.

FULL-TIME: DARWEN 0-1 DAISY HILL

The referee’s whistle brought the contest to an end, and despite being far from their best, Darwen had signed off at the WEC Group Anchor Ground for the 2022/23 season on a high. Kenny Langford’s men are next in action on Easter Monday (10 April) when they take on Nelson in the ‘El Hotpot’ derby.

THE TEAMS

DARWEN

STARTING XI

1. Louis Hood

2. Kian Sharples

3. Samuel Holt

4. Christopher Lynch (C)

5. Christopher Smalley

6. Martin Middlehurst

7. Rio Wilson-Heyes

8. Jack Lynch

9. Leon Creech

10. Ryan McKenna

11. Nathan Strong

SUBSTITUTES

12. Alfie Carmichael

14. Joshua Aspinall

15. Matthew Johnson

16. Thomas Entwistle

DAISY HILL

STARTING XI

1. Kier Barry

2. Joe Rothwell

3. Regan Jarrett

4. Charles Akande

5. Joshua Tinker (C)

6. Samuel Ogundare

7. Jamie Ramwell

8. Caelan Kilheeney

9. Lee Grimshaw

10. Lucas Schofield

11. Harry Hatton

SUBSTITUTES

12. Jordan Hussey

14. Benjamin Howarth

ATT: 272