Chorley 2, King's Lynn Town 1: Eze inspires Magpies to win over fellow promotion rivals
Bolton Wanderers’ loanee Chukwu-Duben Eze stole the limelight with a scintillating first-half display culminating in a stunning strike on the cusp of half-time which effectively wrapped up the points for the Magpies in this battle of promotion chasers.
In truth, impressive Chorley’s victory was rather more comfortable than the bare scoreline suggests, the Linnets’ goal coming too late to do more than trigger a nervy last couple of minutes for the home fans in a fine crowd of 1,467.
Chorley dominated a lively first half, repeatedly threatening with speedy raids down both flanks, the industrious Eze time and again spraying searching passes from midfield.
King’s Lynn struggled to make an impact, too often losing possession with misplaced passes and failing to register a single shot on target.
The opening goal in the 25th minute was an untidy one from the visitors’ point-of- view. A long throw was not dealt with and in the ensuing goalmouth scramble the ball appeared to deflect over the line off a defender, the referee consulting his linesman before awarding the goal.
But there was little that could be done to keep out Eze’s wonderful low drive from some 30 yards which flew past Paul Jones to leave Linnets’ boss Adam Lakeland with an added edge to his interval team-talk.
His team did improve considerably after the break but could have fallen further behind in the opening minutes, George Horbury bursting through only to fire wide with just Jones to beat and then the tricky Craig Hewitt cutting inside and seeing his rising drive tipped over the bar.
Matt Urwin was finally called upon to make his first save just before the hour, diving to push aside a low drive.
By now the Linnets were growing into game and the Magpies’ compact defence was at last given some serious work to do. But it was Chorley who continued to carry the greater goal-threat, Mo Touray forcing Jones into a smart save.
The visitors’ corner-count and overall pressing, however, increased and an incisive raid down the right in the second minute of added time led to Dylan Crowe supplying a pinpoint cross which Gold Omotayo converted at close range.
Magpies’ manager Andy Preece was naturally delighted with his team’s performance.
He said: “This was a real test for us today against a full-time team who have recently been on fire and I’m really proud of my players, every one of them, for coming through it with flying colours.”
This win takes Chorley into second place, level on points with Scunthorpe United who have a better goal-difference.
CHORLEY : Urwin; Henley, Smith, Wilson, Blakeman; Clarke, Eze, Calveley, Horbury; Hewitt (Ormerod 79), Touray. Unused subs. Moore, Bird, Carr, Sampson.