The striker’s stoppage-time goal made it 2-0 on the night - 4-0 on aggregate – but he accepts that it could, and should, have been a lot more.
“We would have preferred a more comfortable victory like the one everyone was looking for, but we spoke to the Manager at half time and we had had 24 shots on goal. They are not always going to go in, but the fact that we are getting a lot more shots in on goal than normal has to be a positive.
“Getting through to the next round was the main thing, we are trying to get some of the things we have been working on in training out onto the pitch. Fans are not always so aware of that, and neither are the press, but we are pleased.
“Our fitness levels are higher, we got around the pitch well and I think it was a professional performance.”
That City were kept down to 2-0 on the night was partly due to a superb performance by EB/Streymur’s goalkeeper, Rene Torgard, and Darius, like manager Mark Hughes, was full of praise for the 28-year-old.
“He had a brilliant game, and over in the Faroes he had just as good a game and made some great saves there as well. Fair play to Streymur, but when it counted we put our chances away. We’ll take that, and try to build with a bit of confidence into the next round.”
Torgard managed to force Darius extremely wide just before he slotted the ball home, a chance set up by the impressive Ched Evans.
“They are never easy!” laughs Darius. “I had a few chances in the first half but I have been working on my fitness, and I thought I might get one more chance in the last 10 minutes, so I had to make the most of it. Ched got a great flick-on, I gambled and luckily it worked out so that’s another positive.”
