A look back to Tuesday’s trip to Chorley
By Matty Paddock - 17/03/2026
Posted 1 month ago
HARRIERS were beaten 2-1 at Chorley on Tuesday night.
The Magpies struck early and then found a late winner just four minutes after Jack Clarke had hauled Adam Murray’s side level for what looked like a late point hard-earned on the road.
It was not a night where Harriers quite found their usual fluency against a determined home side who defended their box well throughout, but there was still plenty of spirit in the response and the visitors – which looked like it had been rewarded by Clarke’s volley until that late heartbreak.
Chorley threatened early on, with Christian Dibble standing tall on four minutes to slap away Max Wilson’s close-range chest-and-volley effort before Mark Ellis headed over from a free kick three minutes later.
Harriers’ first opening came on 11 minutes when Kieren Donnelly met the ball with a flicked header from around 12 yards, though it lacked the power to trouble Matt Urwin and dropped wide.
The hosts went in front on 18 minutes. Harriers were unable to fully clear their lines and a Sam Bird effort took a deflection that wrong-footed Dibble on its way in.
Harriers looked to respond well before the break. Donnelly did well to wrestle for possession and get a shot away on 22 minutes, but it was low enough for Urwin to gather, while there were also strong appeals for a penalty on 31 minutes after a red shirt appeared to be pulled down in the box. The referee was unmoved.
At the other end, Ellis fired straight at Dibble late in the half as Chorley took their narrow lead into the interval.
The Magpies nearly doubled that advantage four minutes after the restart when Harriers were robbed in possession and Wilson raced through, only for his attempted lob to clip the post before being cleared.
Harriers continued to look for a route back and Jack Clarke went close on 59 minutes after being played in well, his firm effort fizzing across goal and just wide of the far post.
Adam Murray then shuffled his pack on 63 minutes, with Seb Thompson, Clarke and Charlie Cooper introduced in place of Ryley Reynolds, Kam Kandola and David Davis.
Dibble kept Harriers firmly in the contest with a string of good saves. He parried away from Owen German on 64 minutes, made a solid near-post stop from Wilson on 72 minutes and then produced an excellent save to deny Harvey Smith’s free header from a corner on 81 minutes.
That proved important as Harriers finally found their reward on 84 minutes. Joe Foulkes delivered a good cross to the far post and Clarke met it, smashing home on the volley to make it 1-1.
With momentum briefly with Harriers, Chorley regained the lead on 88 minutes. Dibble got a fist to a long throw, but could not stop Smith from heading into the empty net at the far post.
Get full team line-ups, live match data and tons more by using the FREE official club app.
This article is about: Match
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
