DARWEN responded perfectly to a pre-match rocket from manager Steve Wilkes with a four star performance which re-ignited their promotion push.

Wilkes had blasted his players after last weekend's defeat at Woodley and wielded the axe dropping Jimmy Khan and Andy Bright in place of himself and Scott Derbyshire.

And it worked a treat as two goals apiece for Paul Baker and Neil Almond put the Anchormen back on track.

The visitors broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when Baker let fly from 25 yards, keeper Darren Hoyland only parried it, and Almond followed up to squeeze home the rebound.

Darwen doubled their advantage 10 minutes later after neat link-up play between Lee Slater and Michael Douglas released Almond who skipped past a defender before unleashing an unstoppable shot past Hoyland.

Slater and Douglas both wasted chances before Holker's only chance of the half fell to Carl Waters but keeper Lee Purvis tipped his header aside.

The second half belonged to leading scorer Baker who took his tally for the season to 15.

His first arrived on 55 minutes when Mick Lynch's effort was cleared by the keeper but Baker lashed home the rebound from 25 yards. And five minutes later he bagged his second after neat work down the right from Douglas.

Substitute Jimmy Khan nearly scored a spectacular fifth in the dying seconds but his shot from the halfway line came back off the post.

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