Defending costs Tigers at Chorley

WORKSOP Town fell to a 4-1 defeat at Chorley today, with caretaker manager Andy Lake in charge for the first time.

Tigers competed well against the high flying Lancashire side for over an hour, but their inability to defend crosses cost them dearly.

Lake made a significant change to the back four with Luke Shiels returning to centre-half and Marc Roberts dropping to the bench.

The giant youngster’s ability in the air might have come in handy however.

Adam Muller and Luke Sharry travelled but were not selected in the match day squad, and new signing Ash Burbeary made his debut on the right.

Massiah McDonald went into the attack on his return from vacation.

Sam Duncum took an early run at the home defence, going through the middle before playing a lovely ball through for Jamie Jackson, the little forward being flagged offside.

A linesman’s flag then denied Chorley centre-half Andy Russell who rose at the back post to head home from a floated free-kick delivery.

Tigers’ failure to fully clear following a period of Chorley pressure led to a ball down the right for Lee McEvilly who volleyed across goal but there was no one at the back post to finish.

On 18 minutes a Mark Hudson free-kick was nodded down by Chris Wood and Shiels failed to control when well placed at the back stick.

Two minutes later Joe Fox released Jackson on the left and he took on and beat Dale Whitham but his cut back was cleared.

For the home side a dangerous corner was headed over the bar from six yards by Adam Roscoe.

On the half hour mark a couple of corners in quick succession saw Jon Worsnop under pressure in his area but the keeper did well to punch clear both times.

Shelton Payne’s pace took him past Steve Gardner with ease and the winger should have done better as he got into the box - a poor touch allowing Worsnop to claim.

Less than five minutes remained in the half when Chorley came forward with menace, a deflected cross was juggled then lost by Worsnop and he had to claw the ball off the line before McEvilly swung at it and his shot went wide off an away defender.

But from the resulting corner the ball fell to the feet of Whitham after Worsnop had touched it onto the post and the Chorley player stroked it home.

Tigers hit back straight away however.

Burbeary found himself in space with time on the right, he hooked it in to Jackson and the striker set himself before firing through the legs of Russ Saunders.

There was further action before the break, McDonald screwing a shot wide after taking on the home defence.

Six minutes into the second half another set-piece into the box gave Chorley the lead once more.

A free-kick was curled in, Worsnop went up to punch and could only direct the ball to Whaley who pinged it straight back into the net.

Looking for another immediate response Tigers won a corner on the left and Hudson chipped it to Burbeary outside the box, the new man volleying over.

Had it gone in the winger would have surely lifted the ‘goal of the season’ award.

Jamie Vermiglio was yellow carded for going through the back of McDonald but Tigers wasted the free-kick.

A minute later Jackson’s skill and pace took him away from two defenders and he opted to shoot from distance, sending the ball over the bar.

But Chorley went further ahead on 69 minutes.

A lovely spell of attacking play ended in a dinked cross from Russell to the back post where Whitham had the simplest of headers with Tigers defence all at sea.

That defence was changed in the wake of the goal, Marc Roberts replacing Shiels.

Things got worse for them with 14 minutes remaining as a ball through the middle split the back four, substitute Tom Williams got the wrong side of Wood and found the net in style for 4-1.

Again Worksop reacted with a substitution. Danny Davidson taking the place of Burbeary.

A deflected free-kick came off Gardner’s foot and threatened to loop over Worsnop - the keeper at full stretch to save but not hold.

The resulting corner saw Chorley play it short before a cross came into the box and Russell headed over.

Jackson kept running to the end, earning himself the ‘Away Man of the Match’ award from the home club, but was unable to fashion a second goal.

Chorley: Saunders, Brown, Ince, Teague, Russell, Whitham, Roscoe, Vermiglio, Whaley (Cunliffe 60), McEvilly (Denham 60), Payne (Williams 66). Not used: Maden, Fairhurst.

Worksop Town: Wornsop, Gardner, Wood, Hudson, Cotterill, Shiels (Roberts 71), Burbeary (Davidson 77), Fox, Jackson, McDonald, Duncum. Not used: Whitwell, Turner, Matthews.

Referee: D. Croft.

Assistants: R. Wainwright, K. Lambert.

Goalscorers: Whitham 42, 69, Whaley 51, Williams 76; Jackson 43.

Yellows: Ince 43, Vermiglio 65.

Attendance: 1005.

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