HIGH-FLYING Darwen lacked the cutting edge to dispose of relegation-threatened Oldham Town as a scrappy NWCL Division Two encounter finished all-square.

Despite a sluggish start, Steve Wilkes' men who have experienced defeat just once in their last 13 outings, could have taken an early lead had Matt Anderton kept a close range header down.

The visitors' combative style clearly unsettled Darwen but on 25 minutes Paul Baker headed back a Wilkes free kick for Mark Westhead to tuck the ball away.

Baker then spurned two golden opportunities to double his side's advantage and Wilkes lashed an effort straight down the keeper's throat on the stroke of half time.

In the second half Baker missed again when clean through before Curley hit back for Oldham after a long ball over the top, despite a suspicion of handball.

Baker then proceeded to miss the target from two yards out and Westhead skimmed the crossbar with a free kick as the game petered out for a draw.

Wilkes said: "Oldham are big and strong and really disrupted us from the word go. We had a few lads missing but that's no excuse as we should have been able to hold out for victory."

DARWEN...1 OLDHAM TOWN...1