CHORLEY battled from a goal behind to come back and win 3-2 at home under the lights at the Chorley Group Victory Park Stadium against Alfreton Town on Tuesday evening.
The Magpies struggled to get an early foothold in the game and found themselves a goal behind just before the 20-minute mark, an own-goal off Adam Blakeman, very fortuitous to flick into the net off him last from an Alfreton Town corner.
Chorley began to ramp up the pressure after the goal went in, Carlton Ubaezuonu giving George Willis a sighter just over the crossbar before HARVEY SMITH unleashed an absolute rocket on the half-volley into the roof of the net to make it all square.
Smith's equaliser saw the momentum of the game in favour of Andy Preece's side and right on the stroke of half-time, Chorley got their rub of the green in the second ball falling kindly into JACK HAZLEHURST's path and he made no mistake in slotting it home to deliver the visitors a real sucker punch going in at the break.
Billy Heath's side came out after the restart with work to do but quickly found some fortune of their own to get back on terms inside the opening five minutes of the second-half, HARRY PERRITT reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the box and poke slot the ball past Max Dearnley.
A scrappy spell of play followed from both sides before Chorley worked the ball well to win their first corners of the game after 75 minutes.
The first, taken by Blakeman was put behind to then be taken on the other side and following that, UBAEZUONU found himself in the right place at the right time to power home after an initial goal-mouth scramble inside the six-yard box.
Nerves began to set in from all angles around the Chorley Group Victory Park Stadium as the game edged towards its climax and but for an unbelievable double save from Dearnley the Magpies may well have walked away with a single point as opposed to three on the night.
Chorley: Dearnley, Smith, Ellis (C), Wilson, Blakeman, Whitehouse, Calveley, Hazlehurst (Horbury, 86'), Maguire, Johnson (Henley, 90'), Ubaezuonu. Unused: Nolan, Shenton, Doumbouya.
Alfreton Town: Willis, Clackstone, Lund, Digie, Cantrill, Waldock, Salmon (Thewlis, 61'), Perritt, Fewster (Day, 79'), Newall, McDonagh. Unused: Stacey, Dickinson, Askew.
Goalscorers: Blakeman (own-goal, 18'), Smith (34'), Hazlehurst (44'), Perritt (48'), Ubaezuonu (77').
Cautions: Salmon (34'), McDonagh (41'), Perritt (90').
Referee: Harry Warner.
Assistants: Jack Nield & Daniel Tyas.
Attendance: 783.
Up Next: We're off on our travels this Saturday to take on Warrington Town at Cantilever Park.
