Chorley 3-3 Worcester City
Vanarama Conference North
Attendance: 1,128
YOU HAVE to go back to January 4 for the last time Worcester City played their part in a game which featured six or more goals.
On that day they were soundly beaten 6-1 at Bradford Park Avenue, but on Saturday they earned themselves a point in an entertaining 3-3 draw at play-off chasing Chorley.
City twice came from behind thanks to a brace from Tristan Dunkley – pegging back strikes from Chris Doyle and James Dean – before Mike Symons put the visitors 3-2 up with 25 minutes left.
But a Chris Doyle header ten minutes later ensured the spoils were shared as both sides dropped pace with the top five chasers.
The tone was set for the game after just 13 minutes when Doyle, on loan from League Two outfit Morecambe, finished from close range after Aaron Burns had his effort saved by Ryan Boot.
Four minutes later it should have been 2-0 when Josh Hine was sent clean through but Boot came out and smothered well at his feet.
And with 20 minutes on the clock the scores were levelled as Sean Geddes found Dunkley in acres of space on the right and the winger finished calmly.
Chorley’s front two then combined to re-establish their lead on the half hour mark. A long ball was flicked on by Aaron Burns into the path of Dean who found space on the left and drilled the ball across Boot from the edge of the box.
The second half continued much in the same vein as Jacob Rowe’s header was kept out by Sam Ashton before the hosts’ stopper denied Dunkley’s effort.
Worcester’s pressure eventually told after 63 minutes and it was route one from the visitors as Boot’s long clearance was flicked on by Symons into the path of Dunkley who again slid the ball past Ashton to draw his side level.
And just 60 seconds later Carl Heeley’s men led for the first time in the game. It was roles-reversed as Dunkley teed up Symons who blasted the ball into the roof of the net.
It was turning into a classic non-league tie as Ashton denied Dunkley his hat-trick with a smart stop from a curling effort before Chorley got themselves level after 77 minutes.
Adam Mather drove in a corner and Doyle climbed highest to head home.
Dean should have made it 4-3 to the hosts with ten minutes remaining but he somehow scuffed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy as both sides took a point from the game.