Darlaston bounced back in superb style to their first league defeat in 10 games at the weekend, when they emphatically beat Black Country rivals Tividale 6 goals to 1. Striker Aaron Bishop was the destroyer in chief with a 35 minute first half hat trick.

Following a positive start, Darlaston took the lead on 8 minutes. A Josh Jones corner was kept alive by Ben Podmore and Jack Downing both heading into the Tividale penalty area, the ball finding Bishop who swivelled to shoot home from 8 yards, Keeper Louis Connor flat footed as the ball found the bottom left hand corner.

On 21 minutes, Bishop added his second when a Tividale free kick was saved by keeper Jono Brown, Darlaston breaking quickly, Ryan Winwood’s superb defencing splitting pass setting Bishop free. Bishop beat his defender for pace before slotting home from 18 yards.

Bishop's hat trick came on 35 minutes. Bishop took a Ben Podmore header in his stride , drove into the box and shot beyond keeper O'Connor to double his seasonal goal tally.

Darlaston had pretty much dominated most of the first half, Tividale restricted to long range efforts and free kicks into the penalty area,

The home side started the second half, pretty much as they had finished the first half, pushing forward at every opportunity in an effort to add to their goal tally.

Tividale were on the back foot, Lewis Taylor Boyce seeing Red after picking up two yellow cards inside 3 minutes.

A short corner between Jack Downing and Lewis Gill, saw Gill's cross into the box powerfully headed against the bar by skipper Alex Foreshaw. The rebound falling back to Foreshaw who shot home from 10 yards.

The fifth came on 81 minutes, Darlaston winning the ball in midfield, Winwood's second defence splitting pass of the night sending Kieron Miller clear, the striker slotting home from 15 yards.

Darlaston added a sixth on two minutes into injury time substitute Jake Pearson breaking clear following Miller's slide rule pass to score from 15 yards. Within a minute of the restart, following an excellent Tividale move, former Darlaston striker Dom Dell stole in at the back post to net a consolation goa for the visitors.

After the game Darlaston boss Dean Gill reflected- "That performance was very pleasing. We bounced back really well from the Highgate defeat and scored some excellent goals. We really ratted in midfield, and I thought our midfielders were excellent tonight. Even more pleasing was the fact that Josh Jones was back after injury, and Ben Priest, Lewis Gill, Tom Turton, Jake Pearson, and Kieron Miller all got some game time. I thought our finishing was first class and Bish was on fire first half. Credit to Tividale they never stopped working hard, as evidenced by their last minute goal."