DARWEN...1 WARRINGTON TOWN...0

DARWEN put a dent in Warrington Town's title aspirations and did their East Lancs neighbours Nelson a favour at the top of NWCL Division Two.

A late Denny Khan goal gave Darwen all three points and boosted their hopes of a late title surge.

And the defeat allowed Nelson to leapfrog Warrington -- and Blackpool Mechanics, whose game against Colne was called off -- at the top of the table.

The game was played in difficult conditions on a heavy pitch and was understandably scrappy, with neither side having any clear chances in the first half.

Late in the game, Darwen scored a controversial goal.

A free kick which was floated in from the left. The Warrington keeper came out of his goal but fumbled the ball and Khan fired in.

The Town team protested because the ball hit Paul Baker, who was standing a yard over the goal line, and bounced back out.

The visitors claimed Baker was in an offside position but the referee rightly waved away their protests after consulting with his assistant, who said Baker could not have been in an offside position because he was outside the playing area.

Warrington had a late chance to equalise but keeper Lee Purvis was more than a match for the near-post effort.

Darwen held to register their first win in three league games, after defeats against Tetley Walker and Squires Gate in the last two Division Two matches.