Chorley lose game but win plaudits

Magpies hit by red card

Chorley may have lost 2-1 to high-flying FC Utd on Saturday but they won the plaudits among the 2,011 crowd.

Gerry Luczka's team was disappointing in their recent defeats to Radcliffe Borough (2-1) and Lancaster City (1-0) but their effort against FC United could not be faulted.

The two teams played earlier this season at Victory Park - when FC ran out 3-0 winners - and the Magpies didn't help themselves when Gavin-Lee Ellison got himself sent off after 20 minutes.

Only the midfielder knows what possessed him to push his opponent right in front of the ref and get a straight red.

It was a devastating blow as the visitors had taken an early lead.

Mike Eckersley - who was once on the books at Man Utd - played the ball over the full back to Steve Burke, who rounded the central defender and hammered the ball past the home keeper Sam Ashton.

It was his 10th goal of the season and the thunderbolt was surely one of his best.

Following the sending off Luczka replaced Chris McDonagh with Greg Traynor to beef up midfield and leave Burke up front on his own.

After 40 minutes an innocuous challenge on the edge of the Chorley box ended up with a free kick to FC United, which top scorer Rory Patterson hammered home for the equaliser.

Patterson clearly likes the Magpies as he scored two goals earlier in the season against Chorley.

In the final minutes of the half FC United hit the bar twice in one attack and goalkeeper Peter Collinge made a smart save in injury time to keep the scores level.

The second Chorley got off to a flyer and Mark Drew, Chris Brookes and Burke and Traynor all having efforts blocked.

With quarter of an hour to go the winner arrived when Simon Carden tucked the ball home beyond Collinge.

With 78 minutes on the clock substitutes Danny Nolan and Kenny Mayers, were thrown on but it was to no avail.

In fact FC United could have extended their lead with a harshly-awarded spot-kick but the penalty hit the post.

Chorley XI: Peter Collinge, Mike Eckersley, Jordan Goodeve, James Mullineux, Martin Clark, Dave German, Chris Brookes, Gavin-Lee Ellison, Chris McDonagh, Steve Burke & Mark Drew

Substitutes: Kenny Mayers (for Drew,78), Danny Nolan (for Brookes, 78) & Greg Traynor (for McDonagh, 32)

Scorers: S.Burke (8)

Last Updated: 13 January 2008 9:55 AM