Carver strike has Nuns on the run

Chorley 1 Nuneaton Town 0A sparkling solo goal by livewire striker Marcus Carver just before half-time lit up an otherwise run-of-the mill game
Marcus Carver was Chorley's matchwinner (photo: Josh Vosper)Marcus Carver was Chorley's matchwinner (photo: Josh Vosper)
Marcus Carver was Chorley's matchwinner (photo: Josh Vosper)

It proved enough to restore the Magpies to the winning trail in the National League North.

This latest clean-sheet was Chorley’s 10th of the season and for the fifth time just one goal was the passport to three points.

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Nuneaton’s full-timers failed to seriously test the Magpies’ on-loan keeper Shaun Rowley, who did not have a difficult save to make.

The visitors were under the cosh from the start as Chorley piled forward, quickly winning three of the 10 corners they racked up before the interval.

Keeper Christian Dibble made a stunning reflex save from Dale Whitham to turn his firm connection with Carver’s inviting low centre over the bar, and then from the resulting corner, Whitham saw another effort headed off the line with Dibble beaten. The Midlands side did carve out a clear chance from an incisive move down the left but Jordan Nicholson with just Rowley to beat screwed his shot past the far post.

Still Chorley called the shots, Carver glancing a free header disappointingly wide, Jason Walker firing over from 20 yards and Whitham being denied by a good save by Dibble at his near post.

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Corner after corner for Chorley followed but just when it looked as if the teams would go in level at half-time, Carver struck on 44 minutes. Fastening on to a lofted ball out of defence, he raced for goal from the halfway line, shrugging off the attention of two defenders, and cracked a great shot past the advancing Dibble.

The Magpies had to repel a lively start by Nuneaton after the break but were soon threatening the visitors’ goal again.

Walker headed a long crossfield ball back across the edge of the box from where Jake Cottrell hit a thunderous shot just over the bar.

Nuneaton’s energy-levels remained high but the nearest they came to equalising was a long diagonal drive by industrious full-back James Clifton, which flew beyond the far post.

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Matt Jansen was full of praise for Carver’s goal which lifts Chorley into third place.

“It was a fantastic finish and deserved to win the match,” he said.

“We managed the game well in the second half and, bearing in mind the injuries we’ve had to contend with, this is a great result.”

CHORLEY: Rowley, Challoner, Beesley, Cowan, Leather, Jordan, Blakeman, Whitham, Carver, Walker, Cottrell. Subs (not used) Jarvis, O’Keefe, Roscoe, Azam, Caunce.

Attendance: 969.