Same old story for Chorley after long-haul trip to Torquay United ends in defeat

It was a fruitless 550-mile round trip for the National League’s bottom club Chorley and their 92 diehard fans as the Magpies once again failed to find the net.

Despite tenacious defensive work, the visitors went down to a more accomplished Torquay side.

In a game of relatively few clear-cut chances, the Gulls wasted two inviting situations to extend their one-goal interval lead soon after the break.

Instead, they needed a late second goal to settle the home fans’ nerves as Chorley posed more of a threat in the latter stages after the introduction of substitute Alex Newby.

Conditions were testing for both teams with a heavy pitch and squally showers driven on a gusty swirling wind.

Elliot Newby had an early effort blocked and home keeper Shaun MacDonald had to tip over Adam Blakeman’s delivery from the ensuing corner at the back post. It was to prove his only save of the first half.

Torquay made most of the running but 35 minutes had been played when Matt Urwin made his first save, a routine gather from an Adam Azeez shot. But the keeper was at fault for the opening goal in added first-half time, advancing unsuccessfully to meet a lofted free-kick, which Robbie Cundy headed beyond him from 10 yards.

The home side should have gone two up four minutes after half-time, when a quick break saw Jamie Reid present Azeez with an open goal but from six yards he incredibly shot wide.

Reid then went for goal himself, blazing over with a colleague better placed to finish the move.

Chorley were working hard to get back on terms without producing a serious effort on goal and the Gulls finally wrapped up their victory 10 minutes from time.

Ben Whitfield made a strong run into the box and rolled the ball across goal to provide Reid with a far-post tap-in.

The Magpies came closest to scoring in added time when both Lewis Baines and Louis Dodds had efforts cleared from the jaws of goal, with MacDonald out of position following a Martin Smith free-kick.

But in the end their score-sheet remained all too familiarly blank – for the seventh time in the last nine games.

CHORLEY: Urwin, Blakeman (A Newby 54), Meppen-Walter, Kiwomya (Dodds 72), E Newby, Ross, Smith, Baines, Nortey, Duxbury, Hall (O’Keefe 82).Subs (not used): Challoner, Cottrell.

Attendance: 2,126.