Match report: Darwen FC 3–3 AFC Knowsley

Ten-man Salmoners pegged back late on as six-goal thriller ends all square

Darwen FC and AFC Knowsley shared the points in a thrilling NWCFL Division One North encounter on Saturday afternoon, with the visitors snatching a 3–3 draw in the 89th minute after the Salmoners had been reduced to ten men.

Having fallen behind inside the opening minute, Darwen responded superbly. Debutant Kurtis Rathbone, Kalvin Morris and Charlie Lloyd all found the net to put the hosts 3–1 up just after the hour, but Knowsley pulled one back on 70 minutes and, after Gary Basterfield was shown a red card in the 85th minute, the visitors struck late to leave with a share of the spoils.

A nightmare start, but Darwen settle quickly

Morris got the game underway, but things could hardly have started worse, with Knowsley scoring in the very first minute to take a 1–0 lead.

To their credit, the Salmoners did not let the early setback knock them off their stride. Darwen kept the ball well in the minutes that followed and began to carve out openings of their own.

Bruno Severino's deflected shot looped up into the air, Nathan Bond flicked it on and Morris went for the spectacular, attempting an overhead kick that flew wide. Moments later Basterfield crossed for Morris, whose header cleared the bar, and Bond even tried his luck from the halfway line in an attempt to catch out the keeper, only to see the effort sail over.

At the other end, Darwen's defence stood firm. Rathbone cleared a Knowsley ball into the box, and Basterfield produced a brilliant interception to head a diagonal pass back to Louis Hood.

Debutant Rathbone levels it up

The pressure told in the 18th minute. Pawel Zuk swung in a corner and Rathbone rose to head home – his first Darwen goal, and on his debut no less. It was 1–1, and Darwen were very much back in it.

The Salmoners were playing some lovely football. Two minutes later Bond found Morris, whose clever backheel teed up Bruno, only for the shot to be blocked.

Rathbone's afternoon then took a different turn when he was booked for a foul just outside the box on 25 minutes, though Knowsley fired the resulting free-kick over.

Morris was at the centre of everything. He went down in the box with a head injury in the 27th minute, but the referee was not interested in giving a penalty. Back on his feet, he took on two players two minutes later before going down in the area once more – and again no penalty was given.

Darwen kept coming. Bobby Langford was flagged offside chasing a long ball, while Hood claimed a Knowsley corner and launched a huge goal kick that eventually led to Bruno shooting over from outside the box. Kit Lloyd then finished off more good build-up play with an effort that scraped the roof of the net.

Morris strikes at the perfect time

Just as it looked like the sides would go in level, Darwen found a deserved lead. In the 44th minute Bruno's initial shot was blocked, the ball fell kindly to Morris, and he slotted past the keeper to make it 2–1. What a time to score.

It might even have been three before the break, Bruno's looping header from Basterfield's cross almost beating the keeper, who scrambled back just in time.

The Salmoners went in 2–1 up at half-time, a lead their first-half performance had thoroughly earned after such a difficult start.

Charlie Lloyd heads Darwen two clear

Knowsley came out quickly after the restart, heading over from close range almost straight away, though the linesman's flag was already up for offside. Langford then got back to win the ball brilliantly when the visitors broke down the right, before whipping a dangerous ball into the box at the other end that the keeper gathered.

There was a blow on 55 minutes when Bond went down injured and limped off, replaced by Sean Elliott. The substitute soon made his mark, wriggling free of a defender to get a shot away, only for the Knowsley keeper to come quickly off his line and make a good save.

Darwen's second goal from a corner arrived in the 62nd minute, Charlie Lloyd heading in Basterfield's delivery to make it 3–1 and seemingly put the Salmoners in control.

Shortly afterwards there was a proud moment for Samuel Darwin, who came on for Langford in the 65th minute to make his Darwen debut.

Ten men and a late sting

Knowsley, though, refused to go away. Hood got to a ball ahead of their attacker on 68 minutes, but the visitors pulled a goal back two minutes later to make it 3–2, and a spell of pressure followed. They fired just wide, Hood claimed a cross from the right, and a header from a left-wing delivery went over.

Basterfield again won the ball back brilliantly down the right, and the linesman flagged Knowsley offside twice as they pushed for an equaliser. Darwen were holding on, and holding firm.

Then, in the 85th minute, came the turning point. Charlie Lloyd did brilliantly to shield the ball out for a goal kick, but tempers flared as he and Basterfield got into handbags with Knowsley. Lloyd was booked while Basterfield, rather bizarrely, was shown red, leaving Darwen down to ten.

It proved a crucial moment. Knowsley made the extra man count, equalising in the 89th minute to make it 3–3. Eight minutes were added on, and a Knowsley player was booked for a foul on Darwin, but there was no further scoring and the points were shared.

A point gained, but a lead let slip

There is no hiding from the fact that this will feel like two points dropped. Darwen led 3–1 with 20 minutes to go and, until the red card, had looked well placed to see the game out. Knowsley deserve credit for their persistence and for making the most of their late advantage.

Yet there was so much to be proud of. Coming from behind after conceding inside a minute takes character, and the Salmoners played some excellent football, creating chance after chance across the afternoon.

Morris was a constant menace and fully deserved his goal, Rathbone marked his debut with a goal to remember, and Charlie Lloyd added a third with a fine header. Basterfield was outstanding for much of the game, with his deliveries creating two goals and his defending repeatedly snuffing out danger, while Langford's work at both ends caught the eye. A special mention, too, for Samuel Darwin on his first appearance in a Darwen shirt.

The players gave everything for one another once again.

And finally, a huge thank you to everyone who came down to the Anchor to support the Salmoners. Your backing, as always, means the world to the players.

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