Chorley 4 Darlington 1

Quakers couldn't overcome a first half in which they conceded three goals at Victory Park tonight.

Quakers went behind to a controversial third minute penalty awarded for handball by Leon Scott from a left wing corner, although they claimed that any handball wasn't intentional.

They laucnhed a fightabck in the second half with a goal by sub Harvey Saunders, but a fourth Chorley goal killed the game off.

Quakers went a goal down in just the third minute. The ball came into the box from a corner on the left, and the ball seemed to hit Leon Scott on the arm after it hit his leg and the ref was just yards away and awarded a penalty, that Jason Walker converted. Scott was booked for his protests

It was nearly 2-0 three minute later when Chorley played a corner to Andy Blakeman, who hit a left foot shot towards the top corner that Adam Bartlett did well to save at full stretch.

Quakers defended well against the pressure, and they had a half chance on 15 minutes when Mark Beck flicked the ball on for Stephen Thompson, who took a touch, swivelled and volleyed over the bar from just inside the area.

Quakers slowly got more and more into the game, and a good run by David Ferguson took him past two players before he was tackled just inside the Chorley box.

However, Quakers were dealt a setback on 32 minutes when Nick Haughton squeezed past two Darlington defenders just inside the box and crossed to the far post where Matt Challoner forced the ball home.

Bartlett then pulled off an excellent save from Carver, who had played a 1-2 with Walker.

David Ferguson then had a header well saved by Matt Urwin, but Chorley went back up the other end and made it 3-0. Bartlett made a great double save from Carver, who then dinked the ball across the box for Walker to sidefoot in.

Half time

Chorley 3 Darlington 0

Quakers created a half chance at the start of the second half when Josh Gillies crossed from the left towards Thompson, whose twisting header went wide.

Quakers made two subs on 55 minutes, James Caton and Harvey Saunders coming on, and the pair of them combined to give Quakers a lifeline on 57 minutes, when Caton made a good run down the left and crossed low for Saunders to swivel and score with a left foot shot.

Josh Gillies then curled a free kick from 25 yards just over the top as Quakers kept going.

Chorley continued to cause problems with their pace, and Bartlett pulled off another flying save from a Blakeman effort.

It was 4-1 on 76 minutes when a low cross came in from the left hand side, Walker dummied it, and Nick Haughton sidefooted in.

Teams: Bartlett, Marrs, Collins, Burgess, Ferguson, Turnbull, Scott, Portas, Gillies, Beck, Thompson

Subs: Syers, Wilczynski, Vaulks Saunders, Caton

Chorley: Urwin, Challoner, Blakeman, Teague, Leather, Jordan, Haughton, O’Keeefe, Carver, Walker, Cottrell

Subs: Hughes, Whitham, Wilson, Jarvis, Roscoe

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