Words: Ryan Jacobs, Images: David Airey
CHORLEY had to settle for their fourth draw in as many games, this time away at local rivals, Southport.
The Magpies started brightly at the Big Help Stadium, with Kole Hall beating two Southport defenders before being tripped. Unfortunately for Hall, the move broke down after the offside flag was eventually raised.
What followed can only be described as a real flashpoint in the game, Matt Urwin almost inadvertently poking the ball into his own net after Adam Henley initially looked to head the ball back to the former.
The hosts then came into the game with two corners in quick succession, with the first a shot on target from Sonny Hilton, which was comfortably saved, while the other was well-cleared.
Before the half-time interval, Chorley had four corners in quick succession.
Blakeman would deliver with precision every time, but his best was the last delivery, which landed on the head of Mike Calveley, who could not steer it home on this occasion, heading just wide.
Then, just before the whistle, Calveley had the ball in the back of the net following a well-worked move. However, the linesman, on this occasion, would bail Southport from being a goal behind with another offside.
On the hour mark, Mark Ellis was forced into some one-on-one defending and denied Jamie Proctor a certain route to the goal and did well to deny the Southport number nine.
Chorley responded well, with Eze cutting in onto his weaker left before striking hard and low, but Chris Renshaw got down well to deny the Bolton loanee.
Then, following a corner, the ball fell kindly to Eze, who couldn’t strike his effort cleanly and left the Magpies to settle for another point on the road.
Andy Preece’s side will be looking to take all three points on Tuesday evening when travelling to Scarborough Athletic.
Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Ellis, Wilson, Blakeman, Horbury (Clarke 75’), Calveley, Nolan, Senior (Carr 81’), Hall (Touray 26’), Hewitt (Eze 52’). Unused: Moore.
