THE Magpies stunned hosts Leamington with a dramatic 94th minute winner to keep their playoff hopes alive in Warwickshire.
With both teams having plenty to play for the start was frenetic – Chorley bossing the opening 20 minutes with Jon Ustabaşı forcing two saves from Leamington’s on loan goalie Ted Cann.
The game then settled down into a territorial tussle through to the break – the Magpies controlling possession and the Brakes hitting and hoping for luck with a second ball.
Early pressure in the second half saw the Magpies grab proper control of the game as Jack Sampson tapped home from a yard out after Adam Blakeman’s recycled cross off an initial corner took out the entire home backline.
Marco Rus then hammered an effort off the bar and Justin Johnson flashed a shot over as the visitors went hunting for the all important second.
Ustabasi was also denied by a second exceptional Cann save as the ball fell kindly for the winger inside the box, before Theo Streete saw a header at the other end clip the top of Urwin’s bar.
In truth, it was all Leamington could muster. That was until the 88th minute when Junior English was fouled by Scott Wilson and Ollie Hulbert pulled the relegation-threatened Brakes level.
Andy Preece’s side could have given up, but instead, deep in injury time, they hit back with a vengeance. Harry Scarborough and Joe Nolan combined to send Ustabaşı clear and he rounded Cann to tap home his 15th of the season, sending the away bench wild.
Leamington Cann; Meredith, Hall, Clarke, Streete, Lane, Hulbert, Walker, Mooney (Usher-Shipway, 74′), Edwards (c) (English, 74′), Turner (Perry, 58′). Subs not used: Moore, Mace.
Chorley Urwin; Henley, Wilson, Leather (c), Whitehouse, Calveley, Sampson, Ustabaşı, Blakeman, Johnson (Scarborough, 70′), Rus (Nolan, 85′). Subs not used: Tomlinson, Shenton, Isherwood.
We’ve dug in and got the result we deserved. We never gave up and now we’ve got two results to get – Andy Preece
HT 0-0
Goals (assists) Hulbert 88′ | Sampson 49′ (Blakeman), Ustabaşı 90’+4 (Nolan)
Cautions Edwards 44′, Streete 84′ | Wilson 35′, Sampson 74′, Calveley 90′
Dismissals None | None
Crowd Not announced
Officials Callum Watchester | Keiran Forrest & David Hinton
Next Up
A home finale – Peterborough Sports the visitors next Saturday; £15 Adults | £12 65+/Concessions | £7 17-20s | £5 12-16s | FREE Accompanied u12s (online here or at the turnstiles)
