Chorley 1 AFC Telford 1 - Report and pictures
A draw was the Bucks’ reward for a tenacious display, but the central performer in this drama was referee Barry Lamb.
He denied the Bucks what looked a clear first-half penalty, puzzlingly dismissed the away side’s Ellis Deeney in the second half and then awarded a late, contentious penalty for a foul on Brendon Daniels, converted by the same player.
The decision had Chorley fans and their manager, ex-Buck Jamie Vermiglio, both fuming and scratching their heads in equal measure.
The game couldn’t have started better for Vermiglio’s side. After just nine minutes they led when Magpies crafted a chance for skipper and talisman Andy Teague to crash a 20-yard shot past Joe Bursik.
The Bucks almost replied immediately.
Matt Urwin, one of a trio of former Bucks in the Chorley side, saved well at his near post when Daniel Udoh wriggled free to shoot, and Urwin denied them again from the resulting corner, getting a hand on Shane Sutton’s effort that bounced up over the bar.
It had been nearly all Chorley, with manager Cowan declaring his side had looked like ‘rabbits caught in the headlights’, but on 26 minutes, Udoh latched on to a ball forward to the left of the area. Urwin forced him wide, stretched for the ball and appeared to fell the striker, making no contact with the ball. Referee Lamb hadn’t read the script and gave no foul.
Udoh had one more chance as the first half ended more evenly. He turned and lost Teague brilliantly, but substitute Stephen Jordan, aided by a second Chorley defender haring back, denied Udoh as he bore down on goal.
The Bucks had a conservative look, with Darryl Knights and James McQuilkin getting through a lot of work supporting lone front runner Udoh.
On 56 minutes, and with Chorley pressing, Cowan introduced Amari Morgan-Smith for Jonathan Royle, giving Udoh some welcome support.
Bursik saved with an outstretched foot from Marcus Carver’s low, angled shot before getting down excellently to turn Teague’s low shot from the right of the box around a post.
Urwin was also busy and produced a terrific stop to turn a deflected Daniels free-kick wide when he appeared wrong-footed.
The real drama began on 70 minutes when Ellis Deeney was dismissed for an alleged stamp, though he left the field looking bemused at the decision.
Chorley looked to take advantage and Bucks substitute Ryan Barnett cleared off the line after Elliot Newby, the spare man with the Bucks outnumbered, threaded a dangerous ball into the six-yard box.
Darryl Knights responded, firing a crisp, first-time shot straight at Urwin but, with five minutes remaining, cue Mr Lamb.
Daniels received the ball marginally inside the area and was barged over with his back to goal.
Most thought it a free-kick, but the assistant referee positioned himself for a penalty and Mr Lamb changed his mind, to Chorley’s astonishment.
Daniels stepped up to lash home the kick, sending Urwin the wrong way in the process.
The league leaders looked to have fluffed their lines, but sought to steal the final scene. Bursik was penalised for timewasting with an indirect free-kick in the area, the Bucks deflecting Courtney Meppen-Walter’s effort wide. Teague had another low and hard cross hacked to safety, then substitute Shaun Tuton, with the game’s last chance, fired wide from the left when in on goal, home fans deceived by their angles and initially thinking the ball was in the net.
A breathless, baffling and bizarre last 25 minutes had ended with an unlikely Bucks point in the bag.
Teams
AFC Telford United: Bursik, White (Brown 77), Smith (Barnett 67), Deeney, Sutton (c), Streete, McQuilkin, Royle (Morgan-Smith 56), Daniels, Udoh, Knights. Unused substitutes: Morley, Dawson.
Chorley: Urwin, Challoner (Jordan 40, Tuton 88), Blakeman, Teague (c), Leather, Meppen-Walter, Whitham, Cottrell, Carver, Wilson (Almond 80), E.Newby. Unused substitutes: McGurk, Hooper.
Referee: Barry Lamb.
Attendance: 1,286.
