CHORLEY fought back to earn a well-deserved 1-1 draw against Brackley Town on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies started on the front-foot, Jack Hazelhurst with the first big chance of the game - firing low and hard after a good exchange with Billy Whitehouse, saved well by Danny Lewis.
Justin Johnson came mightily close to putting Chorley ahead after 22 minutes - Sampson flicking on well to put the former in, only a matter of inches wide of Lewis in goal.
Our visitors hit the front first before the break though, Dominic McHale doing brilliantly to flick the ball around and over Henley, before drilling the ball across the face of goal for Alfie Bates to tap-in past a helpless Matt Urwin.
“A positive start, a good point on the board against a solid Brackley Town side - a really positive performance from us” - Chris Anderson
Chorley came out fighting after the break and after a good spell of pressure, deservedly got back on terms on the hour mark - Mark Ellis heading home sweetly from Adam Blakeman’s free-kick via Justin Johnson.
Both sides upped the ante as the game edged towards its conclusion - our visitors denied a winner after Urwin acrobatically kept out George Carline’s header.
Morgan Roberts was sent-off for a reckless elbow on Scott Wilson in injury time and that was the last real piece of action - both teams having to settle for a point-a-piece.
Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Ellis, Wilson (Smith, 90+’), Blakeman, Calveley, Nolan (Ubaezounu, 90+’), Hazelhurst, Whitehouse (Shenton, 70’), Sampson, Johnson. Unused (Tomlinson, Moore).
Brackley: Lewis, Carline, Murombedzi, Gudger, Dean, Bates (Matwasa, 82’), Newton, McHale (Armson, 90+’), Turner (Roberts, 73’), O’ Sullivan. Unused (Lyttle, Crawford).
Cautions: Nolan (57’), Johnson (57’), Carline (83’), Dean (90+’), Ellis (90+’).
Dismissal: Roberts (90+’).
Referee: Elliot Bell.
Assistants: William Vaughan, Ben Schofield.
Goal Scorers: Bates (41’), Ellis (61’)
Attendance: 1,054.
Next Up: We’re on the road as we make the hour-long journey over to Farsley Celtic next Saturday.
REACTION l Chorley vs Brackley Town