Manager Parkes and his assistant Scott Moore forced to shuffle their pack, with some players unavailable including Noah Diallo, Tyrone Clarke-O’Connell, and David Richards. The management duo gave starts to Jarrod Grant and Ryan Kingdon, with Ant Follows also unavailable and Alex Solomon dropping to the bench.

It could have been a dream start for Darlaston Isaac Cooper hitting the base of the home sides post in the opening minutes with keeper Chris Thomas well beaten with a left footed curing effort. The Darlaston pressure in the opening 10 minutes didn’t let up, the visitors forcing two corners.

Tipton had the ball in the net in the 20th minute, forward Ben Store smashed a right foot shot against Darlaston’s bar, TJ Davies being the first to react putting the ball in the net, only for the assistant to flag for offside.

This seemed to galvanise Tipton as they took charge of first half, Darlaston had keeper Liam Whittaker to thank as he pulled off at least three outstanding saves to keep his team on level terms.

Darlaston’s Ryan Kingdon should have done better after a mazy run down Darlaston’s left his dangerous cross was cleared by the desperate home defence.

The first of Whittaker’s saves was in the 32nd minute, a run and cross from the ever-industrious TJ Davies was met by midfielder Jamie Saidler, Darlaston’s keeper managed to deflect Saidler’s effort over the bar. Two minutes later Whittaker pulled off two outstanding saves within seconds, both from the unlucky Ben Store, first another well hit shot was parried, resulting in a scramble of sorts, Store emerged with a second effort this time a header which Whittaker was equal to it. As he was another Ben Store shot a minute later, which was gathered at the second attempt.

Darlaston’s best chance of the half fell to Jamie Holder, who found himself at the far post, unmarked, not expecting the ball after two home defenders failed to make contact, Holders weight was on his back foot falling away from the goal, his tame effort was dealt with easily buy the under used Thomas.

As the half-time whistle blew a 0-0 scoreline suggested a boring first half, this was defiantly not the case. Tipton certainly had the better chances. Darlaston would have had no complaints if they had gone in at least two goals down, fortunately Liam Whittaker had been equal to anything Tipton could throw at him.

Both teams would be looking to break the deadlock early in the second half.

Darlaston started the better of the two sides, Isaac Cooper forcing Chris Thomas into a save in the opening seconds of the half, a minute latter Coopers second effort looking goal bound was deflected for a corner by last ditch defending from left back Luke Johnson.

Tipton were forced into a substitution 3 minutes into the half, skipper Sam Hesson must have picked up a knock and was replaced by Sam Armstrong. The change seemed to upset the home midfield, as Darlaston started to take control of the game. Luke Charlton, ex Tipton player Jarrod Grant and Jamie Holder were now starting to find a little space.

Where Darlaston’s keeper kept them in the game in the first half, Tipton’s Chris Thomas, kept his side in the game in the second half with at least three flying saves two were from Grant on 55 minutes, Charlton on 59.

As the game entered the closing stages Tipton were reduced to playing on the break, feeding TJ Davies at every opportunity to use his lightening pace. Darlaston had the lion’s share of the possession, but time and time again they made the wrong decisions in the final third, with most attacks amounting to no real threat on the home sides goal.

Both benches could be heard shouting instructions to both their teams in the last 10 minutes, keep the game tight, give nothing away, the game looked destined for extra time that is until.

Tipton’s defence broke up another Darlaston attack, for the umpteenth time in the 88th minute during the game TJ Davies latched onto the ball and ran at the Darlaston defence at full pace, running across the field to his favoured left side, he delivered a telling cross, which evaded the o-rushing attackers and defenders till reaching the far post, where Scott Broadway broke Darlaston’s hearts with a crisp right footed finish past the stranded Whittaker into the net.

Despite the setback Darlaston didn’t lie down, straight from the kick off they attacked Mark Cartwright brought Isaac Cooper crashing to the ground on the edge of the Tipton penalty area. Copper dusted himself down and sized up the free kick, it couldn’t be better placed just to the right of centre, so Coopers sweet left foot could curl the ball around the five-man Tipton wall.

Cooper didn’t disappoint, his well struck effort forced Tipton’s Thomas into his final outstanding save of the evening pushing the ball over the bar to ensure his side progressed through into the League Cup Quarter Final draw.

Neither team deserved to lose, the game had been evenly contested throughout, played in the right spirt and well controlled by well by Referee Harvey Warner and his team.

Darlaston produced arguably their best performance for some weeks, timely so, given Saturday’s massive game next to the river in Stourport-on-Seven against league leaders Droitwich Spa kick off is 3 pm