Darlaston Town extended their unbeaten run in the Northern Premier League, Midlands Division to five games after another excellent performance on the 3G at Coleshill Town. Boss Dean Gill was again forced into changes with Ryan Winwood unavailable, Aaron Bishop still on holiday and Kieran Miller suspended. Rivel Mardenborough, returning to the starting line-up after missing the midweek win against Grantham Town.

Darlaston could have taken the lead in the second minute, Jack Downing setting James Rowland clear, Rowland outpaced his marker before hitting the angle of crossbar and goalpost with a 12 yard angled shot.

Darlaston had the better of the opening stages, and the first half. The pace of Downing and the movement of James Rowland and Mardenborough, creating plenty of space, giving the home defence plenty of problems. Bassitt Mandey for Coleshill was excellent in midfield scrapping for every ball and using it wisely in an attempt to set up Joe Palmer and Alex McSkeane. However, the midfield duo of Lewis Gill and Jake Pearson were industrious and sniffed out any opportunities whilst Ben Podmore and Alex Foreshaw were, again, solid at the heart of the Darlaston defence.

Tyler Bruck, Rowland and Mardenborough all has half chances but stout defending by Carter-Byrne and Hughes denied them a clear strike at goal, when they did get a shot off, former Darlaston keeper Brad Clarkson was on hand with smart saves and interventions.

The visitors pressure finally paid dividends on 22 minutes. A Darlaston corner was only partially cleared, some excellent ball retention and recycling by Gill and Downing, resulted in Downing laying it off to Bruck whose right wing cross was headed goalwards by Downing, the ball was parried into the path of Foreshaw who scrambled the goal from 2 yards.

Darlaston doubled their lead on 31 minutes and again it was their ball retention and recycling under pressure that created the opportunity. Mardenborough, Podmore and Rowland all showing patience in the 18 yard box, the three man passing move eventually resulting in Rowland's cross being finished by Downing from within the 6 yard box.

Darlaston had the better of the possession and better chances but could not quite find the third goal which could well have put the game out of Coleshill's reach. They were to rue their missed chances on the stroke of half time. Former Solihull Moors and Leamington striker Ben Usher Shipway combining down the left with Joe Palmer, Palmer sliding the ball across the face of goal, McSkeane first to arrive to net from a yard out. The referee blew the half time whistle immediately after the restart.

The goal gave Coleshill a new lease of life, the second half more evenly contested as Coleshill pushed forward for the equaliser. Second half substitutions by Coleshill boss Grant Joshua gave them fresh impetus. Former Halesowen and Bromsgrove wide man Isaac Adegoke adding guile and pace, whilst former Lincoln City and Bromsgrove wide man Nathan Kabeya was equally as impressive.

Despite their renewed, energy Coleshill found it difficult to create any clear chances, Sam Tye coming closest with a header cleared off the line. Bruck and Mardenborough continued to threaten with full backs Harry Chesterton and Joel Sharnbrook pushing forward as Darlaston looked to add to their tally.

Coleshill continued to threaten but the Darlaston back four stood firm, keeper James Storer rarely troubled. In the end it was a quickly taken free kick on 76 minutes which undid the defence and created the equaliser. An innocuous challenge some 25 yards out, resulted in a quickly taken free kick catching the Darlaston defence cold, Ben Usher Shipway, in space firing home high, across keeper Storer to find the far top corner.

With four games in 10 days, fatigue started to set in late in the game, but the work rate, quality and tenacity was clearly evident as Darlaston again demonstrated they continue to adjust superbly to the higher level of football. As each game passes, the confidence level grows. A 100% home record after two league games, the third best defensive record in the Division, 4 games out of 6 played away, lying in 6th spot and unbeaten in their last five league games.