Second-half goal burst as Chorley impress boss Preece

The scoring spree was much needed after a slow-tempo first half created by some leisurely play, mostly in their own half, by a visiting team intent on avoiding a repetition of their last visit to Victory Park when they endured a 9-0 drubbing.

This was a performance of real quality by Chorley with confidence sky-high after the midweek romp in the FA Cup replay.

Some of their movement going forward was very impressive and it just needed a goal to set the Magpies up for the win.

Having had to wait 53 minutes, an excellent crowd of 1,375 was promptly treated to not one but two goals in three minutes.

Man-of-the-match Billy Whitehouse was involved in both. He set up the opener with a low cross-shot which keeper Brandon Hall could only parry into the path of the lurking Ollie Shenton, who stroked the loose ball into the net from close range.

Then Whitehouse bagged the second himself, from a grounded position somehow managing to whip a low 15-yard drive past a surprised Hall who had no chance to save.

It was effectively game over now but Chorley were far from finished and might have had more than the third goal scored on 70 minutes in the simplest of fashion by goal-poacher Connor Hall.

Joe Nolan won a brave header on the edge of the box to redirect the ball goalwards and Hall was quick to react and nonchalantly slip it into the corner of the net from short range.

Hungry for more, the Magpies kept piling forward and the City keeper did very well to fling himself across goal to keep out a well-struck shot from substitute Matt Challoner.

All this was in stark contrast to a featureless opening half illuminated only by a good early save from Jon Ustabasi and a Scott Leather attempt from eight yards which struck the post when a goal seemed certain.

Gloucester, for all their composure in possession, were simply unable to unlock a compact Chorley defence in which centre-backs Leather and Scott Wilson were outstanding.

Gloucester manager Lee Mansell was forthright in his post-match comments.

He said : ‘We were second-best in almost everything and were schooled by a very good team. I don’t think we managed a shot on goal in the entire game.”

Magpies’ manager Andy Preece in contrast was naturally delighted.

"It was a really good team performance from the first whistle,” said Preece.

"And the pleasing aspect was the attendance, a massive improvement on recent games, and it was great that we were able to give them something to smile about.”

CHORLEY: Urwin, Henley, Wilson, Leather, Blakeman (Challoner 66), Whitehouse, Shenton, Ustabasi, Nolan, Calveley (Johnson 82), Hall (Owens 79). Subs (not used): Okome, Agyakwa.