DARWEN should have played Prescot Cables in the Worthington Challenge Trophy on Tuesday night -- but no one told manager Steve Wilkes.

Wilkes thought his side were due to play Atherton LR in the Division Two of the North West Counties league.

But the fixture had been changed to accommodate the Worthington Challenge tie, which was later postponed. "You don't see Alex Ferguson turning up at Old Trafford thinking he is about to play Liverpool in the league and then finding out he is playing Leeds in the cup," said Wilkes.

"I didn't even find out until I turned teletext on later on and saw that Atherton had beaten Padiham. I went into work the next day and everyone was saying 'I thought you were supposed to be playing Atherton last night' and I was saying 'So did I'.

"I suppose it's not the end of the world but it is not very good is it?"

It seems the message from secretary Lynn Atkinson to Wilkes to say the game had been switched never got through. "I'm not having a go at Lynn, she does a fantastic job," said Wilkes. "I just can't understand it."

Darwen are away at Squires Gate tomorrow in NWCL Division Two, a game they 'must win'.

"Squires Gate are one of the top teams in the league and we beat them 4-1 earlier in the season so they'll be looking for revenge," said Wilkes. "I still haven't got over our last game, though, when we got beat off Tetley Walker."

The Tetley Walker defeat was Darwen's first in eight games. "I might make a few changes tomorrow," said Wilkes. "But when you go seven unbeaten and then lose one you don't want to go changing things to much."

Wilkes is in the market for a couple of new players. He said. "There are a couple on my list but they are at North West Counties clubs so I can't say much. My main problem is at centre half. Andy Walsh scored eight goals in 10 games up front but then I had to put him at centre half because we had no cover."