Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy Semi-Final - Colne 0 Chorley 3
Wed 10th February 2016 | County Cup Competitions | By Ian Templeman
Three second half goals ended Colne’s hopes of cup glory, as a well organised Chorley side proved to emerged victorious in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy semi-final at the County Ground in Leyland.
The Vanarama Northern League side once again proved to be a thorn in the side of NWCFL sides at this stage in the competition, and Colne now follow in the footsteps of AFC Darwen and Holker Old Boys in the previous two seasons, whose interest also ended in the last four at the hands of the Magpies.
For a while, it looked as if Colne might spring a surprise, but two goals in the space of four minutes early in the second half from Darren Stephenson and Kieran Chadwick put Chorley in the driving seat, before they sealed victory with a third goal from Jordan Connerton 15 minutes from the end.
Chorley, defending the trophy they have won on sixteen occasions, now await the winners of the other semi-final between Lancaster City and Padiham in the final at Bolton Wanderers Macron Stadium on Monday 14th March.
With Colne’s Red Army making their presence felt in customary fashion as the game kicked off, their team almost started in sensational fashion by scoring straight from the kick off.
A ball into space caught the Chorley defence unawares, and Jason Hart took a touch before firing in a shot that Chorley keeper Sam Ashton did well to push away.
Moments later Hart was in the action again, this time almost winning a chase for a long ball as Ashton came charging out of goal, but the keeper got enough of a touch on the ball to concede a corner.
The game then settled down as both teams enjoyed spells of possession without the keepers being unduly troubled, before Chorley created their first chance on 16 minutes.
A fine cross to the far post from Andy Bond found Jordan Connerton racing in to the box, but the striker glanced a header wide of the post from six yards.
Connerton was involved in Chorley’s next opportunity, setting up Dale Whitham for a shot that was eventually scrambled away.
As the half wore on Chorley’s neat, pacey inter-passing began to stretch the Colne defence, and after an Andy Bond free kick on the half hour was well stopped by Thompson in the Colne goal, the keeper was in action again three minutes later with a fine save, tipping the ball over at full stretch after Connerton sent a looping header goalwards from Whitham’s far post cross.
But Colne always looked lively on the break, and a fine interchange between strikers Jason Hart and Danny Boyle created a great chance five minutes from half time.
Hart made a quick break into space down the right, and his beautifully weighted pass enabled Boyle to beat Chorley defender Chadwick to set up a one-on-one shooting chance, but Chorley keeper Ashton stood up well to block the shot.
It was a half in which Chorley had enjoyed the better territory and possession, but Colne had shown stern resistance at the back and lively pace up front, and they began the second half on the front foot with a shot from Ben Hoskin that flew wide of the post from 20 yards.
But the game turned in the space of four minutes when Chorley established a two goal lead.
The opener arrived on 53 minutes from the penalty spot, when a fiercely struck shot by Connerton from close range hit the arm of Colne defender Alex Coleman.
The defender had little chance of avoiding being struck by the ball, but the referee deemed the hand ball was deliberate and Darren Stephenson made a cool job of the resultant penalty, tucking it neatly into the bottom corner of the net.
It got worse for Colne four minutes later when they fell further behind.
Colne keeper Thompson made a fine block from a Connerton header before the ball was scrambled away for a corner, and when the kick was swung into the box, Kieran Chadwick squeezed the ball into the net from close range at the far post.
It was a devastating double blow that Colne never recovered from, although Jason Hart continued to cause the Chorley defence problems, and midway through the second half he timed a run perfectly to beat the offside trap and rifled in a shot that flew across the face of goal.
But Chorley were always dangerous in attack, and after substitute James Dean headed wide from inside the box, he had more luck as a creator 15 minutes from time, when he swung a delightful cross into the penalty area, which Jordan Connerton met on the volley to fire in Chorley’s third goal and snuff out any hopes of a late Colne revival.
Colne manager Steve Cunningham said: “I genuinely thought it wasn’t a 3-0 game. I thought we deserved a goal and I felt we matched them for long spells in the game.
“We made it hard for them and we were difficult to break down, their manager Matt Jansen said that to some of the lads as we came off, and that is a nice compliment given the level they are at.
“That is not our style in the league, we are an attacking side who score goals and we showed a different side to our game tonight.
“We had two great chances in the first half, when Jason Hart and Danny Boyle should have scored, but I thought the penalty just killed us.
“We are immensely proud of every one of the players and the crowd were fantastic, I don’t think I have ever seen a crowd like that in a semi-final in the Lancashire FA Cup.
“Tonight was a nice bonus, a good chance to play a quality side, an opportunity to boost our profile a bit and we will take the positives from it and move on to Saturday
“We now have to take that performance into the league, and I don’t think there will be many teams that can beat us if we play like that.”.
Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy Semi-Final - Colne 0 Chorley 3
Wed 10th February 2016 | County Cup Competitions
By Ian Templeman
Three second half goals ended Colne’s hopes of cup glory, as a well organised Chorley side proved to emerged victorious in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy semi-final at the County Ground in Leyland.
The Vanarama Northern League side once again proved to be a thorn in the side of NWCFL sides at this stage in the competition, and Colne now follow in the footsteps of AFC Darwen and Holker Old Boys in the previous two seasons, whose interest also ended in the last four at the hands of the Magpies.
For a while, it looked as if Colne might spring a surprise, but two goals in the space of four minutes early in the second half from Darren Stephenson and Kieran Chadwick put Chorley in the driving seat, before they sealed victory with a third goal from Jordan Connerton 15 minutes from the end.
Chorley, defending the trophy they have won on sixteen occasions, now await the winners of the other semi-final between Lancaster City and Padiham in the final at Bolton Wanderers Macron Stadium on Monday 14th March.
With Colne’s Red Army making their presence felt in customary fashion as the game kicked off, their team almost started in sensational fashion by scoring straight from the kick off.
A ball into space caught the Chorley defence unawares, and Jason Hart took a touch before firing in a shot that Chorley keeper Sam Ashton did well to push away.
Moments later Hart was in the action again, this time almost winning a chase for a long ball as Ashton came charging out of goal, but the keeper got enough of a touch on the ball to concede a corner.
The game then settled down as both teams enjoyed spells of possession without the keepers being unduly troubled, before Chorley created their first chance on 16 minutes.
A fine cross to the far post from Andy Bond found Jordan Connerton racing in to the box, but the striker glanced a header wide of the post from six yards.
Connerton was involved in Chorley’s next opportunity, setting up Dale Whitham for a shot that was eventually scrambled away.
As the half wore on Chorley’s neat, pacey inter-passing began to stretch the Colne defence, and after an Andy Bond free kick on the half hour was well stopped by Thompson in the Colne goal, the keeper was in action again three minutes later with a fine save, tipping the ball over at full stretch after Connerton sent a looping header goalwards from Whitham’s far post cross.
But Colne always looked lively on the break, and a fine interchange between strikers Jason Hart and Danny Boyle created a great chance five minutes from half time.
Hart made a quick break into space down the right, and his beautifully weighted pass enabled Boyle to beat Chorley defender Chadwick to set up a one-on-one shooting chance, but Chorley keeper Ashton stood up well to block the shot.
It was a half in which Chorley had enjoyed the better territory and possession, but Colne had shown stern resistance at the back and lively pace up front, and they began the second half on the front foot with a shot from Ben Hoskin that flew wide of the post from 20 yards.
But the game turned in the space of four minutes when Chorley established a two goal lead.
The opener arrived on 53 minutes from the penalty spot, when a fiercely struck shot by Connerton from close range hit the arm of Colne defender Alex Coleman.
The defender had little chance of avoiding being struck by the ball, but the referee deemed the hand ball was deliberate and Darren Stephenson made a cool job of the resultant penalty, tucking it neatly into the bottom corner of the net.
It got worse for Colne four minutes later when they fell further behind.
Colne keeper Thompson made a fine block from a Connerton header before the ball was scrambled away for a corner, and when the kick was swung into the box, Kieran Chadwick squeezed the ball into the net from close range at the far post.
It was a devastating double blow that Colne never recovered from, although Jason Hart continued to cause the Chorley defence problems, and midway through the second half he timed a run perfectly to beat the offside trap and rifled in a shot that flew across the face of goal.
But Chorley were always dangerous in attack, and after substitute James Dean headed wide from inside the box, he had more luck as a creator 15 minutes from time, when he swung a delightful cross into the penalty area, which Jordan Connerton met on the volley to fire in Chorley’s third goal and snuff out any hopes of a late Colne revival.
Colne manager Steve Cunningham said: “I genuinely thought it wasn’t a 3-0 game. I thought we deserved a goal and I felt we matched them for long spells in the game.
“We made it hard for them and we were difficult to break down, their manager Matt Jansen said that to some of the lads as we came off, and that is a nice compliment given the level they are at.
“That is not our style in the league, we are an attacking side who score goals and we showed a different side to our game tonight.
“We had two great chances in the first half, when Jason Hart and Danny Boyle should have scored, but I thought the penalty just killed us.
“We are immensely proud of every one of the players and the crowd were fantastic, I don’t think I have ever seen a crowd like that in a semi-final in the Lancashire FA Cup.
“Tonight was a nice bonus, a good chance to play a quality side, an opportunity to boost our profile a bit and we will take the positives from it and move on to Saturday
“We now have to take that performance into the league, and I don’t think there will be many teams that can beat us if we play like that.”.
