The most miserly defence in the NPL Premier Division proved just as unyielding in the FA Trophy as Chorley comfortably saw off the challenge of Whitby.

It was Garry Flitcroft’s team’s ninth clean-sheet of an impressively consistent campaign to date and the boss was understandably delighted with the performance. “We fully deserved our victory and if we had made a couple of better decisions with the final ball in the second half we could have wrapped it up with perhaps two more goals,” said Flitcroft. Chorley’s win was the more praiseworthy in the absence of injured play-maker Tom Baker but club stalwart Jamie Vermiglio stepped in with an outstanding midfield performance.

The decisive goal arrived on the half-hour when determined play by James Dean on the edge of the penalty area set up Adam Roscoe whose angled shot was parried by keeper Shane Bland into the path of Darren Stephenson who stroked home his tenth goal of the season.

A top-class save from Sam Ashton to spare Chorley a replay, the keeper plunging late to his left to scoop out a Nathan Mulligan effort.