LFA Challenge Trophy Semi-Final - Ashton Athletic 1 Chorley 1 (Athletic win 5-4 on pens)
Wed 8th March 2017 | County Cup Competitions | By Ian Templeman
Ashton Athletic are in the Partners Foundation Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy final for the first time in their history, after a dramatic penalty shoot out win over Chorley of the Vanarama National League North.
In an engrossing game at the Lancashire FA’s County Ground in Leyland, Athletic took a second half lead through skipper Paul Watson that they held until five minutes to go, when Jason Walker levelled for Chorley.
That took the game to a penalty shoot out, and after the first nine players all scored from the spot, Chorley’s Jake Cottrell had his penalty saved by Martin Pearson in the Athletic goal to clinch the Yellows place in the final.
In recent years Chorley have been a scourge of Hallmark League clubs in the competition, but at long last the run has come to an end.
To reach this stage of this season’s competition, the Magpies had seen off Prestwich Heys, Squires Gate and Daisy Hill in previous rounds, and in the past three seasons at the semi-final stage in the same competition, they have beaten AFC Darwen, Holker Old Boys and Colne.
But the Yellows have finally ended the hoodoo, and they can now look forward to an appearance in the final against either Radcliffe Borough or Clitheroe at Bolton Wanderers’ Macron Stadium in the first week of April.
The Yellows came into the game having played just twice in the past month, and there were some signs of rustiness early on as they struggled to get a foothold on the game, while Chorley pinged the ball about with some quick passing football on the wet surface.
A long range Kieran Charnock effort tested Martin Pearson in the Athletic goal in the 6th minute, and four minutes later a quickly taken free kick almost caught the Yellows defence napping as Paul Jarvis got a glimpse of goal, but saw his shot from the edge of the box deflected wide of the far post.
But Athletic were handed a gilt edged chance when a mishit clearance from Magpies keeper Ritchie Branagan landed straight in the path of Athletic full back Aaron Cringle, and when he drove a low cross into the box, Joel Brownhill was inches away from connecting, as he slid in at the far post.
A minute later play swung up to the other end, and when Pearson failed to hold a shot from Waqas Azam, Robbie McDaid followed up to side foot the loose ball into the empty net, but Athletic were saved by the assistant referee’s flag, to rule the goal offside.
However, as the half wore on Athletic began to enjoy more possession and their best chance of the half arrived just after the half hour, when skipper Paul Watson picked up a loose ball on half way and went on a surging run straight down the middle before unleashing a cracking shot that was beaten away by Branagan in the Chorley goal.
Overall, it was a decent first half for the Yellows, who had lost out in the possession stats, but none the less managed to confine Chorley to long range efforts from outside the box.
The second half started in similar vein to the first, with Chorley dominating possession and territory and the Athletic defence holding firm and surviving some dodgy moments.
Adam Roscoe spurned two good chances in the first ten minutes after the restart as Chorley exerted pressure, but the game was turned on its head just before the hour when Athletic went ahead with a beautifully executed goal.
After a break down the left, the ball was played square to Yellows captain Paul Watson, who took a touch and curled a delightful right foot shot into the far corner of the net.
The response from Chorley was predictable and immediate, and straight from the kick off a surging run from Will Beesley took him down the left and along the byeline, where his close range effort was scrambled away.
Chorley continued to pour forward, and the catalogue of chances continued. A Roscoe header was saved by Campbell, a Jarvis shot fizzed across the face of goal and grazed the far post, and a Jason Walker cross was well gathered by Pearson under pressure.
As the clock ticked down, and Robbie McDaid fired over with the goal at his mercy, you began to wonder if it was going to be Athletic’s night, but with five minutes remaining Chorley finally got the goal they had threatened to get for so long.
A fine close range save from Campbell and a deflected shot from Andy Teague led to a corner, and when the ball was swung in, a misdirected clearance landed at the feet of Jason Walker, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
It was a killer blow for Athletic who had held out for so long, but as the game moved into stoppage time, substitute Marcus Cusani almost delivered a stunning finale when he won the ball in a challenge inside the Athletic half and went on a storming run that took him to the edge of the box, before he fired a rasping shot just wide of the target.
It was the last action of a fascinating 90 minutes, and the penalty shoot out delivered further drama.
Each side converted their first four penalties, with Daniel Smith, Sam Bailey, Paul Watson and Callum Wilson all on target for Athletic, and when Luke Holden made it five from five for the Yellows, the pressure was then on Chorley substitute Jake Cottrell to take the shoot out into sudden death.
But although Cottrell’s spot kick was well struck, Pearson in the Athletic goal guessed correctly to push the ball away, and the wild celebrations began for Athletic.
LFA Challenge Trophy Semi-Final - Ashton Athletic 1 Chorley 1 (Athletic win 5-4 on pens)
Wed 8th March 2017 | County Cup Competitions
By Ian Templeman
Ashton Athletic are in the Partners Foundation Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy final for the first time in their history, after a dramatic penalty shoot out win over Chorley of the Vanarama National League North.
In an engrossing game at the Lancashire FA’s County Ground in Leyland, Athletic took a second half lead through skipper Paul Watson that they held until five minutes to go, when Jason Walker levelled for Chorley.
That took the game to a penalty shoot out, and after the first nine players all scored from the spot, Chorley’s Jake Cottrell had his penalty saved by Martin Pearson in the Athletic goal to clinch the Yellows place in the final.
In recent years Chorley have been a scourge of Hallmark League clubs in the competition, but at long last the run has come to an end.
To reach this stage of this season’s competition, the Magpies had seen off Prestwich Heys, Squires Gate and Daisy Hill in previous rounds, and in the past three seasons at the semi-final stage in the same competition, they have beaten AFC Darwen, Holker Old Boys and Colne.
But the Yellows have finally ended the hoodoo, and they can now look forward to an appearance in the final against either Radcliffe Borough or Clitheroe at Bolton Wanderers’ Macron Stadium in the first week of April.
The Yellows came into the game having played just twice in the past month, and there were some signs of rustiness early on as they struggled to get a foothold on the game, while Chorley pinged the ball about with some quick passing football on the wet surface.
A long range Kieran Charnock effort tested Martin Pearson in the Athletic goal in the 6th minute, and four minutes later a quickly taken free kick almost caught the Yellows defence napping as Paul Jarvis got a glimpse of goal, but saw his shot from the edge of the box deflected wide of the far post.
But Athletic were handed a gilt edged chance when a mishit clearance from Magpies keeper Ritchie Branagan landed straight in the path of Athletic full back Aaron Cringle, and when he drove a low cross into the box, Joel Brownhill was inches away from connecting, as he slid in at the far post.
A minute later play swung up to the other end, and when Pearson failed to hold a shot from Waqas Azam, Robbie McDaid followed up to side foot the loose ball into the empty net, but Athletic were saved by the assistant referee’s flag, to rule the goal offside.
However, as the half wore on Athletic began to enjoy more possession and their best chance of the half arrived just after the half hour, when skipper Paul Watson picked up a loose ball on half way and went on a surging run straight down the middle before unleashing a cracking shot that was beaten away by Branagan in the Chorley goal.
Overall, it was a decent first half for the Yellows, who had lost out in the possession stats, but none the less managed to confine Chorley to long range efforts from outside the box.
The second half started in similar vein to the first, with Chorley dominating possession and territory and the Athletic defence holding firm and surviving some dodgy moments.
Adam Roscoe spurned two good chances in the first ten minutes after the restart as Chorley exerted pressure, but the game was turned on its head just before the hour when Athletic went ahead with a beautifully executed goal.
After a break down the left, the ball was played square to Yellows captain Paul Watson, who took a touch and curled a delightful right foot shot into the far corner of the net.
The response from Chorley was predictable and immediate, and straight from the kick off a surging run from Will Beesley took him down the left and along the byeline, where his close range effort was scrambled away.
Chorley continued to pour forward, and the catalogue of chances continued. A Roscoe header was saved by Campbell, a Jarvis shot fizzed across the face of goal and grazed the far post, and a Jason Walker cross was well gathered by Pearson under pressure.
As the clock ticked down, and Robbie McDaid fired over with the goal at his mercy, you began to wonder if it was going to be Athletic’s night, but with five minutes remaining Chorley finally got the goal they had threatened to get for so long.
A fine close range save from Campbell and a deflected shot from Andy Teague led to a corner, and when the ball was swung in, a misdirected clearance landed at the feet of Jason Walker, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
It was a killer blow for Athletic who had held out for so long, but as the game moved into stoppage time, substitute Marcus Cusani almost delivered a stunning finale when he won the ball in a challenge inside the Athletic half and went on a storming run that took him to the edge of the box, before he fired a rasping shot just wide of the target.
It was the last action of a fascinating 90 minutes, and the penalty shoot out delivered further drama.
Each side converted their first four penalties, with Daniel Smith, Sam Bailey, Paul Watson and Callum Wilson all on target for Athletic, and when Luke Holden made it five from five for the Yellows, the pressure was then on Chorley substitute Jake Cottrell to take the shoot out into sudden death.
But although Cottrell’s spot kick was well struck, Pearson in the Athletic goal guessed correctly to push the ball away, and the wild celebrations began for Athletic.
