Chorley 2-1 Marine; Enterprise NLN Tuesday 30th December 2025
Max Ledson reports from Victory Park…
Marine suffered their fourth defeat on the road this season, against Chorley FC.
The Mariners couldn’t quite find the answers to get anything out of the game after finding one equaliser, they couldn’t find a second, losing the game 2-1.
The visitors started the game the stronger of the two sides, creating the better chances during the first 15 minutes.
Chorley grew into the game however, as time went on. They started creating the majority of the chances and dominated possession.
The Mariners were forced to defend set piece after set piece towards the end of the first half until eventually the home side found the breakthrough.
In the 35th minute a corner was whipped in by Tom Walker straight onto the head of Mike Calveley, whose header was thumped into the back of the net.
The second half saw Marine start as they did the first, seeing lots of the ball and creating early chances, the best of which fell to Fin Sinclair-Smith in the 51st minute, after the ball was laid off to him inside the 18 yard box, however, his shot only found the hands of a grateful Matt Urwin.
The Mariners only had to wait 8 minutes after this to find their equaliser. Substitute Adam Thomas found himself in an advanced position and with the ball sitting up nicely for him he rifled an effort from the edge of the penalty area right into the top corner of the net leaving Urwin no chance.
Momentum seemed to swing the home side’s way after this goal with the Magpies looking desperate to retake the lead. They eventually got their reward in the 77th minute through Harry Ibbitson. A long throw-in resulted in a scramble under Marine’s crossbar which was turned home by the substitute.
Chorley were comfortable in seeing the game out after this with Marine coming close on a handful of occasions, but unable to rescue a point.
Chorley: Urwin (c), Henley, Ellis, S. Wilson, Calveley, Carr (Nolan 81), Clarke, Walker (Griffiths 90), Lalkovic, M. Wilson, Popoola (Ibbitson 46).
Unused subs: Smith, Moore, Blakeman, Reeves.
Marine: Barnsley, Brown, Wardle (c), Anson, Samuels-Smith (Thomas 50’), Fielding, Marsden, Curran-Nicholls (Potter 84’), Sinclair-Smith, Zanzala (Bell 77’), Jolley.
Unused subs: Newell, Roberts, Huby, McIntyre.
Attendance: 1,097