DARWEN have been dealt a massive blow with the news that goalkeeper Lee Purvis will miss the rest of the season.

Purvis, who has missed only one game in six years, sustained cruciate ligament damage in last Saturday's game against Colne.

Darwen boss Steve Wilkes said: "It's devastating news and I'm heartbroken for the lad.

"He's one of the people that never lets you down week in week out, and missing one game in six years tells its own story.

"What disappoints me is that it came from a refereeing when the linesman flagged for offside. The referee didn't blow his whistle until six seconds after and Lee had already gone in for a challenge.

"He was carried off but we didn't know the full extent of it until we saw Mick Rathbone at Everton on Thursday.

"Obviously, Lee won't get the same kind of treatment Van Nistelrooy or Shearer had when they did the same injury, so we're looking at 12 months recovery."

Even Purvis's stand-in Rob Batty was in hospital this week after he was kicked in the head during Darwen's 3-3 draw with Ashton Town on Tuesday.

But Batty is expected to be fit to face Norton United at home tomorrow, when Wilkes will be hoping his side break their bad habit of throwing away leads.

He said: "We lost a 2-0 lead against Cheadle and a 3-0 lead the other night. The lads just aren't experienced at closing games out so it's my job to work on that.

"On Tuesday I should have made some changes and shut up shop, but you learn from these things."