Words: James Ede, Image: David Airey
CHORLEY return home on Tuesday night after their last-minute victory over Merthyr Town on Saturday.
Tom Carr’s 95th-minute goal completed the Magpies’ turnaround as they came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in South Wales.
Tuesday night will see Southport come to the Grand Store Victory Park Stadium, with the sides having drawn 1-1 at Haig Avenue back in October.
Last Time Out
Saturday’s trip to Wales saw memorable scenes at the end of the game for the travelling supporters as Tom Carr’s chip over Jamie Cogman saw the Magpies claim all three points at Pennydarren Park.
The home team took a 2-0 lead within 25 minute but Andy Preece’s side fought back brilliantly to take all three points in South Wales.
Goals from Warren Clarke and Anjola Popoola levelled the game in the first half before substitute Carr won the game in the final seconds.
After a four-hour journey down, the game was delayed by 10 minutes due to standing water on the pitch as rain hammered down in Merthyr Tydfil.
Chorley had a promising start, with Preece introducing a new diamond midfield to match up with the hosts’ formation, but fell behind in the 11th minute through Kiban Rai’s goal.
The visitors still looked threatening but again conceded when Tom Handley tapped home after 25 minutes.
However, a brilliant reaction saw the Magpies pull one back through Clarke seven minutes later, with the midfielder hitting a sweet half-volley past goalkeeper Cogman into the roof of the net.
The momentum stuck with them and it was made 2-2 minutes later by Anjola Popoola, scoring his second goal in a week.
Fellow loanee Taelor O’Kane played a lovely through ball for the striker and he did the business by rounding Cogman and converting into an open goal.
Max Wilson almost added two more before the break; his first effort hitting the post and his second a curling volley which Cogman punched away.
With Mike Calveley forced off with injury early in the second half, Adam Henley slotted alongside Harvey Smith in the centre of defence and made several important challenges.
Adam Blakeman’s long throw-ins looked to be Chorley’s biggest threat as they continued to search for a winner, but time seemed to be running out.
Popoola almost won the game in the 90th minute but saw Matthew Harris make a goal-line sliding clearance to deny him of a second goal.
But Carr stepped up in the moment, running onto Popoola’s ball and chipping Cogman to cue ecstatic scenes in front of the away fans.
His match-winning goal secured the Magpies’ first away win in the league since August and saw them move up to 14th in the Enterprise National League North.
Opposition Focus
Southport make the midweek trip to Victory Park after scoring their own last-minute goal at the weekend.
Jordan Slew’s 91st-minute equaliser earned them a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Darlington to move them onto 31 points from 30 games.
Neil Danns’ side have won two of their past five league games, with a 3-2 win at Bedford Town and a 1-0 home win over Merthyr coming either side of a one-goal defeat on the road at league leaders South Shields.
The Sandgrounders have also made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy where they will face Step 1 outfit Yeovil Town after beating AFC Fylde 1-0 in the previous round.
Slew is their top-scorer in the league with seven goals in 25 games. Midfielders Arthur Gnahoua and Sonny Hilton are close behind on five and four each.
After an 18th-place finish last season, they sit 20th currently, three points above the relegation zone.
Manager Danns is in his first senior management role after previously spending time as player-manager at Macclesfield and assistant manager of Tranmere Rovers.
In his playing career, the 42-year-old won promotions with Colchester United, Birmingham City, Blackpool, Bury and Macclesfield (twice), as well as winning the Cymru Premier with Connah’s Quay Nomads.
Head-to-Head
The side’s encounter at Haig Avenue in October saw Craig Hewitt score his last goal for the Magpies, a rifled shot into the roof of the net to give the visitors the lead.
Despite goalkeeping coach Steven Drench, who was forced to deputise between the sticks for the ill Matt Urwin, putting on a spirited display, Southport’s Gnahoua equalised shortly after as the game ended 1-1.
Chorley fared well against Southport in the 2024/25 campaign, picking up four points, including a 4-1 victory at home in the first month of the season.
A brace from Mark Ellis was added to by Mike Calveley and Scott Wilson after experienced striker Jamie Proctor had made it 1-1.
At Haig Avenue in January 2025, both sides came away with a point in a goalless draw.
Match Details
Chorley vs Southport
Enterprise National League North
Tuesday, February 10
7.45pm kick-off
Victory Park, Chorley, PR7 3DU
