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Home > 2008-09 Season > Match Reports > Chorley (29.10.08)

MATCH REPORT

Bamber Bridge 2 Chorley 1

Northern Premier League Challenge Cup 1st Round

at Irongate

Tuesday 29th October 2008

By Dave Rowland

In front of a depressingly low derby attendance, Bamber Bridge earned the right to meet Salford City on November 25th in the Second Round of the League Challenge Cup after this hard fought victory over neighbours Chorley at a very cold Irongate. Brig took a one nil lead just prior to the break, following a very even first-half, and although a hard working Chorley side managed to draw level in the second period, the home team prevailed. Both Brig goals came from debutants Anthony Murt and Krystian Liptrot.

Bamber Bridge and Chorley took a break from the riggers of league football to contend this First Round League Challenge Cup tie in a repeat of the previous season, when the sides came out of the hat together at the same stage. Brig were hoping to carry on the good work from the weekend when they overcame a resilient Wakefield side in the First Division North at Irongate, whilst their near neighbours Chorley were looking to go one better following a 1-1 draw at home against Mossley.

Brig boss Phil Entwistle made five changes to the side that had been so successful against Wakefield on Saturday. Former Stalybridge Celtic defender Krystian Liptrot replaced Dave McCann in the centre of the back line and former Burscough striker Anthony Murt was preferred in the number ten shirt to Alex Porter; both players were making their first start for the Irongate club. Stephen Brown replaced Mike Mason on the right of midfield and Ryan-Zico Black replaced Steve Flitcroft in the centre of midfield. Sean O’Neil took over from Neil Zarac to lead the front line. Chorley made just one change to the side that faced Mossley at Victory Park at the weekend. Ashley Parillon was preferred in midfield to Roger Sharrock who was named as one of the substitutes.

Chorley kicked off but Brig were first to show when Murt headed an Ince cross narrowly wide after 5 minutes.

The visitors played some neat approach play but Brig looked strong at the back and defended stoutly. However, the home side had their work cut out as the Victory Park lads moved the ball about with purpose and enjoyed a good opening to the game. Indeed, they came close to breaking the deadlock on 10 minutes when Stephen Burke was just wide with a header from an Eckersley cross from the left.

The Magpies went close again on 15 minutes when Parillon sent in a rising cross-shot on the run which screamed narrowly over the angle of post and crossbar, following a neatly threaded through-ball by Jordan Goodeve which split the home defence. Eckersley blasted wide from a Rob Henry cross shortly afterwards in another threatening Chorley raid.

Despite this, Bamber Bridge almost opened the scoring on 22 minutes after Stephen Brown had been upended on the left edge of the Chorley penalty box. John Kennedy was desperately unlucky to see his free-kick come back off the crossbar and Sean O’Neil likewise, when his header from the rebound flashed narrowly over.

The home side began to get more bodies forward and on the half-hour mark a Murt shot at the back post was saved by Chorley goalkeeper Peter Collinge, who stretched out a foot to hack the ball behind, following a well executed corner-kick by Tom Ince. Another promising Brig move involving Glenn Steel, Anthony Murt and Tom Ince ended with Murt firing just wide on 40 minutes. However, there was no denying Brig’s new signing and he managed to get on the score-sheet after a mistake by the Chorley defence two minutes later. James Mullineux sent a pass back to Collinge which was deflected by another defender who got in the way. The lurking Sean O’Neil took full advantage and nipped in to rob the Chorley goalkeeper before selflessly laying the ball back into the path of ANTHONY MURT who crisply fired home before Collinge had time to recover.

The home side came out strongly at the beginning of the second-half and within a couple of minutes almost doubled their lead on two occasions. Collinge kept out a bullet header from O’Neil, when diving low to his left to turn the ball around the post, following a superb cross by the industrious Ince. Then the Chorley goalkeeper had to be at his best once again seconds later when keeping out a full-blooded drive from Ryan- Zico Black following a Brown lay-off.

Chorley responded with an onslaught of their own and Jordan Connerton shot narrowly wide following some very inventive play by Eckersley, before they drew level in the 59th minute. Eckersley was again the instigator. He cut a path through the Brig back line before squaring the ball to STEPHEN BURKE who pushed his shot beyond the reach of Brig goalkeeper Andy Banks for a well worked goal.

Bamber Bridge came back strongly forcing a succession of corner-kicks, and after Murt was denied by a fine Collinge save, they got their noses back in front on 68 minutes. A Brown corner-kick from the left was powerfully headed home by the inrushing KRYSTIAN LIPTROT much to the delight of the home crowd.

Far from being dispirited, the young Chorley braves came back at Brig with a vengeance. However, they missed a golden opportunity to get back on level terms for a second time after a period of sustained pressure. A well directed cross by the lively Connerton on 73 minutes found Eckersley completely unmarked at the back post, but the Chorley midfielder headed over a gaping net. At the other end, a speculative long range free-kick by Brown almost caught Collinge off his guard, but the ball flew inches past the wrong side of the goalpost.

Chorley refused to give in and worked tirelessly for the equaliser, which made for an absorbing contest. The Brig rearguard had their work cut out in repulsing some dangerous raids down the left by the overlapping Rob Henry and survived a couple of goalmouth scrambles with solid resolute defending.

In the closing stages Murt almost got on the score-sheet for a second time when the home side broke out, but Mullineux was quickly across to cut out the danger blocking the shot with his body.

Bamber Bridge: Banks, McAllister (Mason 82mins), Kennedy (McCann 60mins), Liptrot, Tong, Steel, Brown, Black, O'Neil (Porter 56mins), Murt, Ince. Unused subs: -

Goals: Murt (42mins), Liptrot (68mins)

Chorley: Collinge, Finch (Crossley 87mins), Henry, Mullineux, Smalley, West (Walsh 89mins), Eckersley, Parillon (Sharrock 75mins), Connerton, Burke, Goodeve. Unused subs: Percival, Jones

Goals: Burke (59mins)

Attendance: 152