DARWEN'S season is in danger of collapsing after a woeful display saw them dumped out of the NWTL Floodlit Trophy quarter-finals by neighbours Rossendale United.

Manager Steve Wilkes blasted his side after Dale showed the greater appetite and booked themselves a place in the semi-finals without ever having to move into top gear.

"That was our worst performance since I took over," fumed Wilkes.

"I lost my temper for the first time after last night's game because we were sloppy and just didn't have the commitment."

With the strong wind at their backs, Dale totally bossed the first half, causing the Anchormen problems especially from set pieces.

They took the lead on 21 minutes when a free kick from Danny Heys 40 yards out, took a deflection off Paul Holdsworth and looped beyond Lee Purvis.

The visitors came more into it after the break as Steve Lynch rattled a post with a shot on the turn following Neil Durkin's long throw.

But Matt Raywood doubled Dale's lead midway through the half with a powerful header from a Heys corner.

John Whittaker missed the chance to pull one back from the penalty spot before Neil Almond did reduce the arrears with a stunning scissors kick from the edge of the box.

But Jerome Fitzgerald killed off any chance of a comeback by slotting home a free kick on the edge of the box with nine minutes left.

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