Vanarama National League North
Jonny Bonell reports from Aggborough
Attendance: 575
THE LAST time Worcester City met Chorley, back in February, they produced an enthralling 3-3 draw. And it was much of the same today (Saturday) as the two sides put on another goal-fest with the Lancashire side coming out 3-2 winners.
Substitute Lewis Guy pounced right at the death to snatch victory for Matt Jansen’s men against a Worcester side who saw themselves reduced to ten men for the fourth time in five league games.
Influential midfielder Sean Geddes was sent for an early bath for two bookings, with the scores at 2-2, that after a Daniel Nti brace was sandwiched between a Clayton McDonald own goal and a solo effort from Darren Stephenson.
Defeat means City have now conceded six goals in their last two games – after their 3-0 defeat to Solihull midweek – and sit just a point above the drop zone after Guy’s late sucker punch.
In an end to end start to proceedings it was the hosts who had the first attempt when Geddes’ speculative drive after 30 seconds was well held by Sam Ashton before the Chorley stopper easily dealt with Ellis Deeney’s deflected effort ten minutes later.
But the visitors, who were beaten play-off finalists last term, had chances of their own as Adam Dodd fizzed a 25-yard drive just over, Kieran Charnock’s header nestled on the roof of the net and captain Dale Whitham had his goal-bound strike blocked by McDonald all before the 20 minute mark.
Both Nti and Geddes came close to breaking the deadlock but it was Jansen’s men who should have taken the lead after 32 minutes when the unmarked Stephenson somehow headed wide from six yards out after meeting Whitham’s delivery.
And how the Lancashire outfit were to pay for that miss as less than 60 seconds later Worcester charged down the other end and opened the scoring.
Tyler Weir – returning after two games out with a head injury – was at the heart of it as he made a mockery of the Chorley defence and fed Nti in the box who took a touch and cooly fired past Ashton.
Worcester sensed a second before the break and Deeney fired inches over a minute after taking the lead, but it was Chorley who found themselves level bang on 45 minutes through an unlikely source.
Whitham’s front-post corner appeared to be easy for McDonald but the unchallenged defender inadvertently flicked a header past Nathan Vaughan and into the back of his own net.
And just five minutes into the second period the turnaround was complete and it was one former Blackburn hot-shot Jansen would have been proud of as Stephenson brought down a Josh Hine cross, took a touch inside Weir and fired a low strike past the helpless Vaughan.
Carl Heeley and Matt Gardiner rolled the dice by making all three changes in 13 second half minutes but it was Chorley who could have extended their advantage had it not been for the heroics of Rob Elvins who twice put his body on the line to deny goal-bound efforts from James Dean and substitute Jake Cottrell.
Those changes looked to have paid dividends as the added attacking spark saw Nti’s run illegally halted on the edge of the Magpies’ box. The forward picked himself up and curled a wonderful effort past Ashton to draw the Blue and Whites level.
There was a sour note for Heeley and Gardiner’s side when for the fourth time in five games they were reduced to ten men as Geddes received a second yellow for a cynical trip on Marcus Carver as he broke through the middle.
But things were to get even worse for Worcester as the clock hit 90 and substitute Guy – who had been on the pitch for less than two minutes – arrived at the back post to bundle to ball past Vaughan and send the travelling support home delirious.