DARWEN are on the brink of promotion after an enthralling 1-1 draw with fellow high-fliers Flixton.

Should Ashton Town fail to beat Colne by four clear goals tomorrow night then Steve Wilkes' side will be playing NWCL Division One football next season.

The Reds opened the scoring on 30 minutes after Daniel Stubberfield picked up a loose header from Robert Radcliffe to nick the ball past the keeper.

The Manchester side camped in Darwen's half in the second half but, for all their pressure, their only real chance was Rob Kelly's overhead kick, which Rob Batty saved well.

Craig Shaw saw red on 86 minutes for kicking the ball away and Flixton equalised from the resulting free-kick.

Flixton's Radcliffe and Chris Young were then dismissed for separate fouls on Paul Baker, who almost scored a late winner with a 30-yard drive that crashed against crossbar.

DARWEN ...1

FLIXTON ...1