Honours even in Victory Park fog

Chorley 1 Tamworth 1The spoils were fairly shared as the final whistle pierced the fog at Victory Park after a contest accurately described by Magpies boss Matt Jansen as a '˜nip and tuck' affair.
Matt JansenMatt Jansen
Matt Jansen

On an unbeaten seven-game run, Tamworth raced out of the blocks and had Chorley at full stretch for the opening 15 minutes of a fast-paced first half in the National League North contest.

The Magpies gradually imposed themselves more in an ultimately goalless first 45 minutes and took the lead shortly after the break, only to be pegged back within a few minutes, after which the game could have gone either way.

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As Tamworth dictated the early exchanges, Jack Lane saw a strong downward header scrambled off the Chorley line.

Then Shaun Rowley went full length to punch for a corner a venomous Louis Briscoe free-kick and when the flag-kick came over Scott Leather rescued the Magpies once more with a headed goal-line clearance.

Chorley gradually improved without finding the target and it was Rowley to the rescue again, blocking Ben Fox’s low angled drive at his near post.

With the interval approaching, Tamworth keeper James Belshaw had to rush from goal to close down Marcus Carver who had been sent clear.

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Then Carver wasted Chorley’s best chance, misdirecting his header from a pin-point right-wing centre.

Four minutes after the break the Magpies were ahead. Following a now familiar corner routine, Adam Roscoe had a powerful shot blocked and Leather drove the rebound low into the net.

The lead lasted nine minutes. The home defence failed to deal with a free-kick hoisted towards the far side of goal and the ball was knocked down for Ross Dyer to score from close range.

After that, the action was difficult to follow as fog thickened.

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Belshaw saved well low down from Jake Cottrell’s tight-angled attempt, while at the other end, quick thinking by Leather enabled him to shepherd the ball to safety after Briscoe had slipped it beyond Rowley.

Neither side was able to conjure up a winner in the closing stages and Tamworth’s top scorer Dan Newton was sent off for a second bookable offence.

“On the balance of play, it was a fair result,” said Jansen.

“Tamworth are a very good side and I’m happy to have taken four points from them this season.”

CHORLEY : Rowley, Challoner, Blakeman, Sheron (Teague,71), Leather, Charnock, Roscoe, Whitham, Carver, Walker, Cottrell. Subs (not used): O’Keefe, Beesley, Azam, Jarvis.

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