Tangeni brace ensures a share of the points at Mill Street

SATURDAY 25TH MARCH 2017
KINGTON TOWN 2 DARLASTON TOWN (1874) 2

"Two goals from Tangeni "Tish" Nghishidimbwa saw Darlaston clock up 7 points from the last 9 with a hard fought draw in deepest Herefordshire.

With Josh Carvel unavailable through injury "Tish" made his full debut and proved a handful for the home defenders all game. Darlaston made a bright start taking an early lead when Nghishidimbwa scored from 6 yards turning home a Sam Giles cross in the 6th minute. The visitors could have extended their lead made two minutes later but fortunately for the hosts Sam Melia just failed to add the finishing touch to a 3 man move involving Giles, Luke Charlton and Craig Ball.

The home side equalised on 11 minutes when Darlaston failed to clear their lines and Rory Huntbach pounced on the loose ball to drill home from 12 yards giving keeper Aaron Morris no chance. Kington defender Keanu Barnett was lucky to escape punishment in the 18th minute with a nasty challenge on Melia from behind but astonishingly no foul was given incensing the visiting players and supporters. At this point several Darlaston players lost their focus and the home side made them pay a heavy price by taking the lead on 24 minutes. A long high clearance by Ryan Nicholas reached the Darlaston penalty area, keeper Morris came to collect but was beaten to the ball by the head of the impressive Jo Maygothling.

The visitors regained their composure with Giles and "Tish" combining down the left but Giles over hit his cross and any danger was averted. Melia was again the subject of two crude tackles by Barnett and Alex Rosser but again referee baker seemed oblivious from his position 40 yards away. Ball was majestic in midfield as he and Maygothling for the home side the stand out players. Callum Craddock tested Morris from 25 yards but the keeper easily saved whilst at the other end long range efforts from Ball and Jay Handley failed to trouble Jason Davies in the home goal.

The second half opened with the visitors on top, Sam Giles and Lucas Hough both failing to concert good chances. A deserved equaliser came in the 56th minute and again it was the Giles and Nghishidimbwa partnership which came up trumps. An excellent left wing run by Giles saw him glide past Lewis Craddock and Dan Pugh to send in a left wing cross across the 6 yard box, it eluded everyone except "Tish" who gratefully tapped home from 2 yards much to the delight of Darlaston's travelling fans.

For about 15 minutes the visitors were in the ascendancy but could not convert their supremacy into goals and as the home side soaked up the pressure they gained confidence and both Maygothling and substitute Brian Dyer created difficult chances for themselves but both failed to trouble keeper Morris.

Barnett was again guilty of a nasty challenge from behind on Melia but the resulting free kick was easily plucked from the air by Davies.

On 75 minutes a rasping drive by Huntbach had Morris scrambling but fortunately for the keeper the 20 yard effort went inches wide of his left hand post. Kington finished strongly and thought they had netted the winner in the 78th minute but Craddock's effort was ruled out for offside.

Finally on 85 minutes after his fourth crude challenge from behind on Melia, Keanu Barnett found his name in referee Baker's notebook.

The home side were now exerting pressure on the visiting defence and in the 88th minute after a goal mouth melee Morris was Darlaston's saviour pulling off a superb one handed save to deny Dyer an almost certain winner.

After the game Darlaston boss Scott Bamford had mixed emotions, he said "We got off to a good start with the early goal but two defensive errors allowed them back into the game and they started to gain in confidence. We didn't play with the same intensity as we have with in the last three games and in this division if you don't play with intensity you will get punished. Overall I was happy with our effort particularly in the 2nd half and we deserved our equaliser. In three years this is the first time we have left Kington with a point so we will take positives from that. I was particularly pleased with "Tish's" contribution and to score 2 goals in what is his first 90 minutes in 18 months was a great effort".