After last week’s good performance at Black Country Rangers Darlaston’s management team was forced into making changes. Sam Causton failed a late fitness test and was replaced by Ricardo Rickets. Luke Charlton and Daniel Bolzon were both unavailable up stepped Zico Agyemang for Bolzon and Jamie Holder for Charlton.

Bewdley came to the Paycare ground with an unbeaten start to the season in the league, although they lost in midweek to Littleton in the League Cup.

Both sides start the game well, Bewdley looked the more dangerous in the opening exchanges attacking at pace with their mobile front three of Kirby, Morris and League top scorer Hart, Darlaston started the game in their usual solid fashion, with Scott Stevenson pulling the strings in midfield, Taylor and Agyemang were mobile up front.

Bewdley were gifted the opening goal of the afternoon, a defensive error left Darlaston flat footed allowing Matt Kirby to find Dylan Hart at the far post who scored his twelfth of the season to put the visitors one up.

Four minutes later Darlaston were level a slide rule pass from Jamie Holder inside the full back put Scott Stevenson in behind the defence, his cross found Leon Taylor, who turned and put a crisp left footed shot past keeper Sidaway to equalise.

Straight from the kick-off it was very nearly 2-1 to the home side, Stevenson having just laid on Darlo’s first noticed Bewdley’s keeper was well off his line from 35 yards out failed his deft chip bet the keeper just failing to dip under the bar.

Whittaker save the home side with the best of his three saves of the afternoon, somehow at full stretch he managed to keep out another Hart effort clawing the ball out for a corner.

Darlaston went in front on 37 minutes, a loose ball on the edge of the visitors’ box was met in a 50/50 tackle between Lucas Hough and Simon Rudd, after the losing the tackle somehow Hough managed to hook the ball and pass it through to Leon Taylor. Taylor rounded the keeper and passed the ball into an empty net.

Bewdley’s heads seemed to drop after Darlaston’s second goal, their only effort of note in the remainder of the first half once again forced Liam Whittaker to be at his best, again denying Dylan Hart, this time from a free kick 22 yards out.

As bot teams left the pitch at the end of the first period, Darlaston would be the far happier of the two sides, Bewdley had lost their spark, and drive after such a good start.

The victors made a change at during the half-time break, the came out a rejuvenated side pegging Darlaston back in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Rudd’s right footed thunderbolt of a shot was somehow beaten out by the once again alert Whittaker, making his third outstanding save of the afternoon.

The remainder of the half was all Bewdley, but despite their best efforts, Darlaston’s hardworking team, Bewdley could not create a chance of note, for all their attractive build up play they lacked in the final third, which was surprising given how many goals they have scored this season.
As the match was coming to a close, Darlaston went further ahead in injury time, a long ball out from Whittaker was met by Substitute Seeking, Agyemang’s pressure forced the substitute into an error, Zico’s pull back to the edge of the 18 yard box found the screaming Stevenson, whose left footed finish beat Sidaway for Darlaston’s third.

Bewdley’s unbeaten start to the season was ended by a very good resolute solid Darlaston performance, where each player ran themselves into the ground for the cause. Darlaston’s management team must have been pleased with their team’s performance once again

Bewdley returned home to the Wyre Forest with their run ended, it just wasn’t their day, they have a very talented group of players and an electric front three who are bound to cause many a team problems this season.

Darlaston travel to Cradley Town next Saturday for their next West Midlands (Regional) League game, kick off 3 pm.