Following their euphoric midweek win against Wolverhampton Wanderers Under 21s, Darlaston were brought back down to earth by a young, fit, quick and talented Studley FC.

Darlaston boss Dean Gill still without long term injured Josh Jones and Reece Mason, made two changes one enforced, from the side that beat Wolverhampton Casuals the previous weekend. James Rowland was serving a one match suspension whilst Louis Baker passed a late fitness test but was not risked from the start. Ryan Winwood and Kieran Miller returning to the starting line up.

The visitors made a rip-roaring start and were created four good chances in the opening twenty minutes, all falling to live wire Rivel Mardenborough. Twice Mardenborough found space down the left flank to outpace his defender, but unfortunately for the young striker keeper Bunn was up to the task with two smart saves. Kieran Miller was also a threat sending in two superb crosses again Mardenborough just failing to find the net, which his forward runs, and ability to lose his defender merited.

Darlaston paid a heavy price for their missed chances when following their first meaningful attack Studley took the lead on 25 minutes. Jack Downing adjudged to have brought down Harry Chesterton in the box. Romario Martin converted the resultant spot kick, low and hard to keeper's Tom Allsopp's right.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the visitors who were largely second best for the remainder of the game. Their tenacity, work rate and attacking stye remained but Studley upped their game and their confidence was now sky high.

Former Cheltenham Town striker Zac Guinan was proving a handful, whilst the pace and trickery of Chesterton was excellent. Morgan Owen and Harry Lake sored up the defence leaving the Darlaston forward line with no space and very few opportunities.

On the stroke of half time an excellent Studley move was rewarded with an equally impressive goal, Guinan driving home with power and accuracy from the edge of the box.

The second half saw Studley assert their authority playing with quality, confidence and pace as well as winning the majority of 50/50 challenges and thwarting the visitors attempts to get back in the game, with numerous interceptions to break up the visitors play.

Chesterton was superb down the right flank, thwarted twice by the legs of keeper Allsopp, and also setting up Guinan and Riley who both shot high and wide.

Darlaston did not pose much of an attacking threat in the second half Owen and Lake continuing to hold strong. Darlaston had their best spell of the half in the closing ten minutes, Mardenborough hitting a dipping volley inches over the bar and Aaron Bishop denied a clear strike at goal by Owen's block.

Following the game boss Dean Gill reflected "Take nothing away from Studley, after they weathered the early storm, they were excellent for the rest of the game. We could and perhaps should have been at least a couple of goals to the good in the opening twenty minutes, but when they scored, as you would expect they showed confidence and class. They are a very good, well coached, young team, many players coached at or playing at a Step 1 Academy. You can be skilful, fit and quick as they are, but you have to match that with work rate and teamwork and they did that in spades today. As an opposing manager, you can still admire the quality of the opposition and individual players and that was the case for me today.

We were not at our best today. Our work rate, tenacity and will to get back in the game was all there, but other parts of our game were below our usual standard today. That was as much down to the quality of the opposition as it was to us. We could've had the game won if we had taken our early chances, we then lacked a bit of quality at times, and did not break them down often enough after the first twenty minutes or so. We paid the price for that."