Blakeman's strike is decisive for Chorley

Chorley 1 York City 0Chorley got their National League North season off to a flying start with three well-deserved points from a challenging-looking assignment against York City.
Adam BlakemanAdam Blakeman
Adam Blakeman

The Minstermen had concluded their pre-season build-up with a 6-1 romp at Ilkeston, watched by the Magpies’ deputy manager Andy Preece. He said: “I saw that game and I knew it was going to be tough.

“But the boys put on a brilliant team performance. They worked very hard for each other and Adam Blakeman’s goal was a sweet strike.”

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City caused a few early problems. Jake Wright broke through on the right and looked to have beaten Cameron Belford in the home goal, only to see his low shot bounce harmlessly across the goalmouth from the inside of the near post.

Belford later made a fine save from a fiercely-struck cross-shot from Jordan Burrow. Marcus Carver the hosts’ most dangerous outlet and he was only just too high with an angled shot which skimmed the roof of the net.

He later delivered a raking low centre across the face of goal which no colleague was close enough to turn into the net.

Chorley’s improvement brought them the decisive goal in the 38th minute.

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Elliot Newby laid the ball back on the edge of the penalty area to Adam Blakeman, who steadied himself before shooting into the corner of the net.

Belford had to be alert soon after the break to punch aside a well-struck drive from Wes York and did even better later on to turn a stinging 22-yards’ free-kick from Sean Newton on to the bar.

These heroics may just have delayed the reappearance of fans’ favourite Matt Urwin, re-signed on a season’s loan from Fleetwood Town on Friday but registered minutes too late to be available for selection.

Those two strikes apart, York looked increasingly unlikely to break down a Magpies’ defence in typically resolute form, with centre-back Scott Leather outstanding.

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The chances of an addition to the scoresheet were coming at the other end.

Josh Wilson saw a firm header from a corner headed off the York line and keeper Adam Bartlett pulled off a superb diving save from Elliot Newby.

Chorley proceeded to efficiently close out the match to give new manager Jamie Vermiglio, missing owing to pre-arranged holiday commitments, the perfect start to his new role.

CHORLEY: Belford, Challoner, Blakeman, Teague, Leather, Meppen-Walter, A Newby, O’Keefe, Carver (Short 90), Wilson (Almond 74), E Newby (Whitham 84). Subs (not used): Anson. Fletcher.

Attendance: 1,520.