Chorley 1-0 Blyth Spartans

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ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
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Chorley 1-0 Blyth Spartans
Saturday 12th January
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Victory Park Stadium
Attendance: 608

A wonder strike from Chorley midfielder Dale Whitham ensured that Spartans came away from Victory Park Stadium empty handed despite a battling performance. The Magpies completed the double over Paddy Atkinson's side in a game where Whitham's strike was the only difference between the two sides in what was an very even contest, although Spartans were looking drained during the closing period after the extra time victory over Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Doodson Cup on Tuesday.

Atkinson kept the spine of the side together that had won at the Look Local Stadium during the week but three changes saw Conor Grant, Richie Slaughter and Damen Mullen come in for Craig Pickering, Darryll Donnelly and Lee Mason. Phil Airey was rewarded for his Man of the Match performance at Stocksbridge and kept his place at full back whilst Jack Stanger was given another chance to impress in centre midfield alongside Neal Hooks.

A fairly low key start to the game saw neither side really take the initiative and it took until the quarter hour mark for the first chance when only a lineman's flag denied the home side taking the lead. A shot from the edge of the Spartans area by Adam Roscoe deflected through to Curtis Haley and the Magpies striker was left with a simple finish from six yards, only for his effort to be ruled out correctly as he was standing in an offside position. Five minutes later Spartans had their first chance as Damen Mullen played the overlapping Airey into the left side of the hosts' area and he crashed a cross across the face of goal, only to see it cleared as both Jennings and McGorrigan closed in at the far post.

Both sides suffered injury blows during the first half with the home side having to replace winger John Cunliffe with Jamie Vermiglio and Spartans had to replace Jack Stanger with Shaun Vipond. Up until then Stanger had been impressive and the tackle that saw the young midfielder limp off with a knee injury infuriated Atkinson and disrupted the flow of the Spartans midfield. Just before the break Spartans were denied the lead by a last ditch tackle from Magpies defender Mark Ross. A Robbie Dale throw in found Andy Jennings in the box and the striker hooked the ball over his head which seemed to leave Mullen with a simple finish from six yard. However Ross came from nowhere and denied Mullen what would have been his second goal of the season and ensured that Spartans went into half time with the game scoreless for the first time in the league this season.

The home side came out of the blocks first in the second half and really should have taken the lead within the first five minutes of the restart. Only a superb point blank stop from Conor Grant denied Stephenson after the striker had volleyed at goal from eight yards out and then Shaun Utterson denied Magpies captain Teague by clearing his goalbound header off the line. Spartans slowly started to get back into the game and nearly had the lead after Robbie Dale collected a headed clearance on the edge of the box and drifted past his marker Russell. Dale struck a right footed effort from the angle just past the near post although the angle was always against him.

Just after the hour mark Utterson broke into the right side of the hosts' area and smashed a cross into the box only to see Whitham deflect the ball narrowly past his own post. Whitham may have been fortunate then but there was nothing lucky about the goal that came nine minutes later. A ball into the Spartans area was cleared by Utterson to around twenty yards out, that found Whitham and the Magpies midfielder took one touch before crashing an unstoppable effort past Conor Grant and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

In the closing stages there was no lack of effort from Spartans but they were clearly showing the effects of the win over Stocksbridge in midweek and to their credit they created two great chances. With ten minutes left a one two between Utterson and Neal Hooks saw the the former float a superb cross into the box. That cross narrowly avoided both the far post and the attempts of Spartans substitute Dan Maguire and fell narrowly wide. Another Spartans substitute Craig Hubbard had the final chance of the game as the clock ticked towards the nintieth minute as he latched onto a Maguire knock down only to see his twenty yard effort well saved by Cudworth in the hosts' goal and ensured Spartans came away with nothing to show from a whole hearted display.

Spartans Man of the Match:

Richie Slaughter

Chorley:

Cudworth, Ross, Russell, O'Brien, Teague, Whitham, Roscoe, Parillion, Haley(Breen 82), Stephenson, Cunliffe(Vermiglio 25)

Subs not used:

Collinge, Ince, Flitcroft

Goalscorers

Turner 20, Thewlis 73, South 75

Blyth Spartans:

Grant, Utterson, Airey, Stanger(Vipond 36), Buchanan, Slaughter, Mullen(Hubbard 79), Hooks, Jennings, McGorrigan(Maguire 72), Dale

Subs not used:

Kendrick, Mason

Scorer:

None

Referee:

J Hunt