Adam Yates reports from Victory Park as Chorley exacted revenge over Marine with a 3-1 win in the FA Trophy which knocks the Mariners out of the competition.
Drawing away games in FA competitions has been our trademark in the last few seasons (our fourth consecutive Trophy away game going back to Dec 2022) but Marine had only a short trip on their plate this time around to Lancashire.
Due to recent results and injuries, Neil Young has rarely named the same starting line up this season and with this being a cup game, this was no exception. Scott Butler returned from his Leek Town loan spell and Adam Thomas started up front in place of Lusiama who had a small knock. It was also captain Chris Doyle’s 100 Marine appearance and it went without saying that a clean sheet and a win would be the icing on the cake for that celebration.
The first half was mainly a positive one for the visitors. Marine enjoyed their fair share of possession, linked up well, especially in the final third which had been lacking in prior games and Chorley’s long standing keeper Matty Urwin was tested. Finlay Sinclair-Smith blasted straight at Urwin from inside the box and was unlucky to not get more from the chance. However as chances go, Adam Thomas will relive his own when a cross from Joe Mattock found the middle of the area and Thomas was wide open to head past Urwin but his effort was wide of the goal to the relief of most of Victory Park.
In the last head to head fixture a fortnight prior, one of Chorley’s bright sparks was Dubem Eze and it was Eze who opened the scoring. Given too much space outside the box, Eze slotted impressively past Matty Corran for the lead. As the game neared half time, the Magpies attempted to put the game to bed with a second but golden chances to do so resulted in fluffed shots and a crack of the crossbar. Eze went off injured shortly before the break which would have, at the time, been seen as a stroke of luck for Marine. Unfortunately, the replacement, George Horbury would go on to also get on the score sheet later on…
Marine came out of the traps in the second half, this time in front of their travelling fans and an equaliser was looking to be on the cards. Chris Doyle found himself chesting down the ball then striking at Urwin but again, it was blocked. With momentum clearly with Marine, Chorley countered for their second and Mo Touray, not for the first time, scored against his old team with a poachers goal near the post.
The second goal took the wind out of Marines sails and in the 76th minute, the substitute, Horbury made it three with a similarly positioned goal to Eze’s with neat build up play by Tom Carr.
As the game neared the regulated ninety, Marine found the net. Brad Grant swung a low pass into the box and Harvey Gregson surprised the keeper with a first touch blasting into the net. Whilst it may have only been a consolation, it was the first away goal Marine had scored in two months and only their 10th of the season in all competitions. The away support nearly saw an 11th seconds later but again, Urwin was the denier, this time preventing Matty Waters from getting in on the action from close range.
Next Up – It’s a big one in terms of league standing as Marine host another member of the bottom four as Needham Market come to town.
Chorley: 1. Urwin (Cap), 2. Henley, 4. Wilson, 5. Smith, 18. Bird, 23. Clarke, 15. Eze (Horbury 36 (Brindle 80)), 7. Rice (Blakeman 63), 8. Calveley, 10. Carr, 11. Touray (Birchall 83).
Unused Substitutes: Drench.
Marine: 1. Matty Corran, 23. James Brown, 2. Scott Butler (3. Matty Waters 80), 5. Chris Doyle (Cap), 22. Joe Mattock, 24. Brad Grant, 16. Kristi Montgomery, 4. Leigh Whelan, 10. Owen Robinson (6. James Butler 65), 20. Fin Sinclair-Smith (8. Harvey Gregson 77), 7. Adam Thomas (14. Brad Holmes 65).
Unused Substitutes: 25. Charley Doyle.
Attendance: 980.
