Harrogate Town moved into second place in the National North League, with an excellent 4-1 victory over Chorley.
For Town,Jordan Thewlis returned from illness and Dominic Knowles went back to the subs bench.
It took only three minutes for Thewlis to make an impact,when he raced into the area and was brought down by keeper,Matt Urwin.
Urwin was awarded a yellow card and Simon Ainge easily dispatched the following penalty to give Town the lead.
Chorley almost hit back immediately,with Scott Leather pushing forward to head Adam Blakeman’s free kick narrowly wide.A George Thomson corner rolled dangerously across the Magpie’s goal,but the visitor’s countered strongly and a superb defensive header from Ainge was needed to keep out Blakeman’s free kick.
Josh Falkingham reacted quickly to rob the unmarked Matt Challoner and Andy Teague forced James Belshaw into a full length save,but it was Town who struck late into the half.
Joe Leesley broke down the left and Ainge rose majestically at the far post to head home his deep centre to send Town into the break with a two goal cushion.
A clearly stung Chorley opened the second half with a series of corners and their pressure paid off after 53 minutes,when Marcus Calver beat Belshaw from close range.
The Magpies were in the ascendancy,but the Town rearguard,with Fallowfield,Middleton and Burrell outstanding,held firm.
However,after 64 minutes a brilliant solo effort from Thewlis put Town well into the driving seat.
He gained possession in midfield and jinked through Chorley’s defence to beat Urwin with a low shot just inside the post.
Town’s task was then made considerably easier when Leather was sent off for a second bookable offence after bring down Jack Emmett.
In the final minute,Ben Parker released Leesley down the left and his low centre was rifled in by,Man of the Match,Thewlis.
Town,
Belshaw,Fallowfield(Vann 81),Parker, Falkingham,Middleton,Burrell, Thomson,Emmett,,Ainge (c),Thewlis,Leesley.
Unused subs,Knowles,Cracknell,Kennedy,Day. Booking Emmett
Scorers,Ainge 3 pen,43.Thewlis 64,90. Man of the Match Thewlis, Att.676
Chorley,
Urwin,Challoner,Jarvis,Teague (c),Leather,Charnock,(Roscoe 64),Blakeman,Whitham,Carver,Walker,(O’Keefe 77),Cottrell.
Unused subs,Wilson,Gornell,Elumba. Sending off Leather. Bookings Urwin,Whitham.
Scorer,Carver 53.
By John Harrison.
