CHORLEY capped off the 2023/24 pre-season with a confident, 5-3 win over a youthful Manchester City XI at Victory Park on Tuesday night.
The Magpies got off to the best possible start, Louis Britton tapping in from close range with barely a minute played.
Andy Preece doubled their advantage after half an hour, Jack Hazelhurst bagging a deserved goal after a lapse in concentration left George Murray-Jones stranded in goal
Justin Johnson celebrates his goal against Manchester City (David Airey)
Manchester City did peg one back before the break through Tai Sodje but the Magpies continued to flourish infront of goal - Cian Spencer-McDermott this time the one onto the danger first, pinching the ball from Isaac Smith before cleverly rolling the ball around and past Murray-Jones.
Chorley made it 4-1 at the break after some excellent pressing from Britton and Hazelhurst forced an error out of Tom Gálvez, who looked to play the ball back to Murray-Jones but saw it fly straight past him and into his own goal.
“Tonight I thought the lads were fantastic, some really great performances… I thought we were ruthless infront of goal, our pressing was fantastic.” - Andy Preece
The visitors got one back not long after the restart, Nico O’ Reilly with an excellently placed free-kick, low and hard under the wall and past Matt Urwin into the corner.
Justin Johnson continued his solid form infront of goal in adding a fifth goal on the night for the Magpies, running from inside his own half before slotting past the onrushing keeper. Isaiah Dada-Mascoll added a further consolation for City to end proceedings at 5-3.
Chorley: Urwin, Trialist A, Lazaro, Ellis (Wilson, 45’), Trialist B, Calveley (Kay, 45’), Shenton (Blakeman, 71’), Spencer-McDermott (Barker, 85’), Hazelhurst (Johnson, 45’), Britton (C. Preece, 45’), Scarborough (K. Preece, 85’)
Manchester City: Murray-Jones, Samuel, Smith (Alleyne, 71’), Baptiste (Simpson-Pusey, 58’), Gálvez, Susoho (Dada-Mascoll, 60’), Hamilton (Ogwuru, 76’), O’ Reilly, Ndala, Dickson, Sodje
Goalscorers: Britton (1’), Hazelhurst (30’), Sodje, (36’), Spencer-McDermott (38’), Gálvez (own-goal, 40’), O’ Reilly (54’), Johnson (67’), Dada-Mascoll (75’)
Cautions: Hazelhurst (37’)
Referee: Mr. Michael Crusham
Attendance: 2,372
Next Up: We welcome Brackley Town for our Vanarama National League North opener this Saturday.
REACTION l Andy's view on Chorley FC vs Manchester City XI
