A late winner from Darwen substitute Jake Foster condemned Daisy Hill to their second successive home defeat in the North West Counties League First Division North on Saturday.

After former Daisy striker Jamie Ramwell had given the visitors the lead, Daisy captain Jake O’Brien levelled the scores within two minutes from the penalty spot.

But with 11 minutes remaining, Foster struck to put Darwen 2-1 up.And although Nathan Bartram-Conway came close to bagging an equaliser when he hit the post with a header in the last minute, the visitors held out to leave Daisy still searching for their first league points in 2025.

It was a tough result to take after a good all-round performance, but afterwards Daisy skipper O’Brien felt they had only themselves to blame for the defeat.

“We definitely had the better clear-cut chances and didn’t take them, which is probably the story of our season so far,” said O’Brien.

“It was a good game, and was end-to-end in the first half, but we had three or four really good chances and probably should have scored more than one goal.

“We are our own worst enemies at times, we need to be a bit more clinical and take our chances when they come.

“It was just one of those days for us. Over the course of the game, I think a draw would have been a fairer result, and we feel a bit deflated.

“It’s disappointing we couldn’t nick at least a point at the end, especially with us hitting the post in the last minute.

“But we didn’t take those chances, and Darwen managed to nick it.

“On the first goal we got caught a bit, although it was a decent finish, but we got back into to it straight away, with Fin (Stafford) winning the penalty and I managed to put it away.

“It was the sort of game where I was anticipating a goal would come from a mistake although that didn’t happen, for the winner the ball broke for them and they have just pounced on it and scored, it was just one of those things.

“It wasn’t a bad performance from us, and certainly miles better than the one we put in against Thornton Cleveleys last week, everyone was at it.

“But we have to pick ourselves up and go again, and now we have got to come out flying next week against AFC Blackpool.”

It was a game that burst into life right from the start, with Finlay Stafford setting up his captain O’Brien for a shooting chance in the fifth minute, only to be denied by a good blocking save from Darwen keeper James Aspinall.

Within three minutes, at the other end, Daisy keeper Morgan Newns saw his first action of the afternoon when he reacted quickly to push a shot from Rio Wilson-Heys on to the bar, before blocking the follow-up shot.

Daisy then took the attacking initiative, and after Stafford and Nicholls were both denied by good stops from Aspinall, Regan Brown came close to bagging his first goal for the club when he rose at the back post to direct a Declan Baldwin free-kick narrowly wide.

But it was Darwen who opened the scoring on 36 minutes, with Severino winning the ball in midfield before playing a pass through to Ramwell, who beat Newns with a well-struck shot that sneaked just inside the far post.

It was a blow for Daisy after a bright opening, but almost straight from the restart they were back on level terms.

As Stafford chased a clearance through the middle, Darwen captain Christopher Bailey slid in to challenge just inside the box and his outstretched hand connected with the ball, giving the referee no alternative other than to award a penalty.

For the second week in a row, O’Brien demonstrated his prowess from the spot, dispatching the penalty into the top-right corner of the net.

Play continued to swing from end to end, and after Stafford headed just wide from a Sam Howell cross, Newns was in action once more, making a fine block in a one-on-one encounter with Jefferson De Abreu.

It had been a fast moving and engrossing opening 45 minutes, and it was little surprise the pace slackened after the break as the heavy pitch began to take its toll.

Daisy’s best effort of the opening stages was an effort from Jacob Ridings that was well saved by Aspinall, and at the other end Newns once again denied the lively Wilson-Heyes with a smart save.

But with 13 minutes remaining, Darwen struck with what proved to be the decisive moment of the game.

Connor Hughes picked up a loose ball in midfield and played a precision pass through to substitute Foster, who had time and space to take a touch before beating Newns from 12 yards.

As the game entered the closing stages Daisy dominated possession as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, and created two excellent chances in stoppage time.

Bartram-Conway came agonisingly close when his header from a Baldwin free-kick rebounded off the post, and in the final seconds Alex Dodd’s run and cut back was deflected into the path of Callum McHale who met the ball sweetly on the volley but narrowly missed the target.

Daisy are back in action in the North West Counties Football League First Division North on Saturday when they host AFC Blackpool at the Plumb Factory Stadium.