Darlaston scrape into Second Round of the J.W. Hunt Cup

Wednesday evening saw Darlaston Town (1874) visit Evo Stick’s Rushall Olympics’ ground to take on the club’s U21’s who were making their debut in the J.W. Hunt Cup.
Manager Parkes made three changes from Saturdays line-up, giving Kieran Payne his Darlaston debut at left back, promoting Ashley Justin from the bench, and James Filkins returned from Injury.
Rushall started the match robustly trying to impose themselves on their more senior opponents conceding five fouls in the first ten minutes. Darlaston given the continual breaks in play struggled to gain any rhythm. Rushall fashioned a chance after seven minutes centre forward Jakor Burroughs missing the target header.
Darlaston struggled to string more than three passes together giving the ball away far too cheaply, Rushall pressed and moved the ball quickly, but met a resolute Darlaston defence controlled by keeper Morris and Justin. After 26 minutes Darlaston started to find a foothold fashioning a headed chance for striker Hughes following a Giles cross, which cleared Rushall’s bar.
On 30 mins Darlaston took and undeserved lead, Rushall failed to clear the ball from the left side of their penalty area after some head tennis, which resulted in Filkins heading the ball onto Hughes who looped a header passed keeper Pardington.
The remainder of the half passed without incident. Rushall having two attempts blocked and Giles testing Rushall’s young keeper.
During half time both managers made substitutions. Manager Parkes removed Filkins from the fray replacing him with the second debutant of the evening Adonijah Allen. Both sides started the second half much brighter, Darlaston now having two forwards with Allen alongside Hayden Hughes.
As the half worn on chances were still difficult to create, only three half chances were created in a 25 minute spell two for Rushall, Morris saving a Marriott effort and Squire heading wide. Darlaston’s only chance a Hughes effort saved by the keeper.
Rushall made another two changes bringing on players that were staring to have an impact on the game putting the host’s on the front foot. It was no surprise when Rushall equalised on 75 mins substitute Squire scoring from 22 yards with a fine right foot strike.
Following the goal Darlaston rallied and pressed forward more, Dave Richards worked hard at the base of the midfield, five minutes after Rushall’s equaliser centre half Wall fouled Hughes 25 yards from the area, and received a booking the only one of the game. Lucas Hough stepped up and produced the best piece of individual skill in the game curling the direct free-kick over the wall into the top left corner of Rushall keepers net.

Rushall pressed hard for a second equaliser pushing the Darlaston defence deeper, three efforts in 5 mins, were created a Wall header went wide as well as Westley having a shot blocked and also missing the target. Some 3 minutes later after a foul on Richards was ignored by the referee on 88 Ciaran Best shot from outside the area across Morris into the right-hand side of the net.
Shortly afterwards the ref blew for full time.

The J.W. Hunt Cup Committee require all ties to be settled without a replay and extra time, so both managers met with their teams to decide the penalty takers. The first five penalties resulted in each side missing one each, Martin Stanton having his shot saved, and Rushall’s Wall hitting the base of Morris’s right hand post. Now it was sudden death, Sam Baxter who had come on as substitute just before the end of 90 mins scored slotted his penalty easily as did skipper for the night Richards. Rushall’s second penalty was superbly saved by Aaron Morris a fantastic save to his right.

So Darlaston’s unbeaten run continues all be it luckily, and they are in the hat for the second-round draw of the J.W. Hunt Cup, the next round will probably need to be played before Christmas, now Manager Parkes and his players start to prepare for Saturdays visit of Allscott to The Paycare Ground kick off is at 3pm

A second photo album from Pete Burke can be found at Rushall Olympic Second Album