THERE will be no £7,500 cheque in the post for Chorley this week following the Magpies' embarrassing exit from the F.A. Cup at the hands of NWCL First Division representatives Maine Road.

Instead the Manchester club will deservedly pocket the prize, after recovering from a first-minute body blow to take the tie on merit.

It looked a cakewalk for Chorley as Andy Mason and David Sutch quickly broke through, the latter gleefully smashing the ball into the net on 59 seconds, and the visitors' goal survived a series of scares, notably when a clever Michael Wallace chip bounced behind off the crossbar and keeper Andy Cowell somehow turned aside a thunderous Danny Mills drive.

But a goal out of nothing afer 26 minutes kick-started a Maine Road recovery, Chris Sims' 25-yard shot taking a deflection off a Chorley defender to wrongfoot Simon Marsh for the equaliser.

Even so, the Magpies still looked favourites, Mason being unlucky to see his shot deflected onto the bar withCowell well beaten.

Then soon after the break, Sims headed out after Sutch's volley had beaten Maine Road's replacement keeper John Morrey. Disaster struck Chorley when amid uncertainty in the home penalty area Jock Russell was upended and he stepped up to put Maine Road ahead from the spot in the 64th minute.

The Magpies threw everything into a desperate bid to equalise but an increasingly confident Maine Road defended heroically, Morrey pulling off one stunning save from Neil Mitchell.

And it was not all one-way traffic, the visitors twice coming close in dangerous breakaways to extending their lead.

The final whistle brought ecstatic celebrations. After all, apart from the cash windfall, Maine Road were still on the Road to the Final with BBC Radio Five Live.

Sadly, for Chorley, they are currently going nowhere.

RESULT: CHORLEY...1 MAINE ROAD...2