Emley 1 Chorley 0

CHORLEY'S last flickering hope of automatic safety from relegation was snuffed out last night when Emley won a tight contest with a classic goal.

It came on 50 minutes from a smart build up down the right and when Ian Banks slipped the ball into the box, Scott Jackson's low cross was tapped in at the far post by Mark Wilson.

The Magpies had shaded the first half and contributed some neat football to a surprisingly entertaining game, considering the very lively surface. But as so often this season, Chorley could not find the cutting edge in the final third of the field. Steve Shaughnessy failed to make two half chances count before the interval, poking the ball wide from a Matt Harmer knock down and then seeing a header from a left wing cross drift wide of the post.

The Magpies had better opportunities after going behind, though at this stage the impressive Banks and Paul David were gaining increasing control for Emley in midfield. Steve Jones however should have done better than fire wide when a Steve Eyre cross eluded everyone in the goalmouth but then at the other end Chorley keeper Simon Marsh produced an excellent save to turn over Jackson's header.

The cruellest twist for Chorley came when Darren Quick was denied a goal twice in quick succession. Ex-Oldham keeper Andy Rhodes brilliantly turned aside a real blockbuster from Quick from 30 yards and from the resulting corner Quick's goal-bound shot was booted off the line.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.