Chorley let a point slip at Hereford

An otherwise run-of-the-mill match sprang to life with a burst of three goals in the last six minutes.

The Magpies grabbed a deserved equaliser before almost at once snatching the lead, only to be pegged back with a minute of normal time remaining.

The point makes the National League North table look considerably better from Chorley’s point of view, as they climb two places to 19th.

There were early setbacks for the visitors, Lewis Baines and Harvey Smith both picking up yellow cards for ill-judged challenges in the opening five minutes, and Harry Cardwell having to go off after taking a knock just past the half-hour.

Hereford looked the sharper side in the first half without finding the killer blow.

Chorley had their chances. Mike Calveley should have done better than fire over from a great position and then Elliot Newby, teed up by Andy Halls, saw his shot turned onto the post by keeper Paul White and out for a corner.

At the other end, Matt Urwin got down well to save from James McQuilkin, who then missed a clear chance just before the break when in on goal but, under slight pressure from Baines, he lifted his shot over the bar.

After withstanding early second-half pressure from the Bulls, with Scott Leather twice coming to the rescue, Chorley gained a measure of control and were unfortunate to go behind on the hour.

James Hodgkiss’ shot took a big deflection off Leather and left Urwin wrong-footed.

The Magpies remained positive and Arlen Birch was incredibly unlucky to see his downward header hit the inside of the post and roll along the line without entering the net.

The equaliser arrived on 83 minutes with Birch again involved.

His deep cross reached Lewis Reilly for a simple finish at the far post.

There was jubilation for Chorley moments later when Andy Halls’ drive from distance took a deflection to nestle in the back of the net beyond a despairing White to make it 2-1.

But the concession of a corner proved the visitors’ undoing when Lenell John-Lewis rose highest to head the Bulls level.

With both sides having benefited from a deflected goal and not much between them on the balance of play, a draw was probably the right result but Chorley clearly were twice the width of a post closer to bagging the extra reward.

CHORLEY: Urwin, Birch, Smith, Halls, Leather, Baines, Calveley, Cardwell (Reilly 32), Newby, Shenton (Tomlinson 60), Hall. Subs (not used): Henley, Garratt.