Harrogate Town 2 -1 Chorley

Harrogate Town got back to winning ways with an excellent win over play- off contenders, Chorley.
Town made two changes to the starting line up, Tom Platt and Joe Colbeck replacing the injured
Andi Thanoj and Luke Shiels.
Town posed the first threat when Platt’s glancing header from Joe Leesley’s cross flashed past the upright.
However,Town were gifted an early lead when Lewis Turner was brought down inside the area and Leesley blasted the penalty past Richie Branagan.
Unfortunately for Town,Lloyd Kerry’s injury jinx continued when he was stretchered off with a bad knee injury to be replaced by Jon Paul Pittman.
Chorley were finding it hard to make an impression on the game and Leesley and Simon Ainge both missed chances to stretch Town’s lead.
It took half an hour before the Magpies threatened Town’s goal when the unmarked Jack Sampson headed wide from Dale Whitham’s corner.
Peter Crook was then called into action to keep out Sampson’s low shot for the corner,but it was Town who doubled their lead after thirtyeight minutes.
Jake Cottrell’s foul on Liam Agnew presented Leesley with a free kick which Ainge headed in at the far post.
Four minutes later, the Magpies opened their account,when Crook failed to deal with a high centre and Sampson hooked in from close range.
Two vital saves by Branagan from Colbeck and Leesley kept the score at 2-1 at the break.
The second half opened with a rising drive from Chorley’s,Adam Blakeman, which only just cleared Town’s crossbar,while at the other end,Branagan once again thwarted Town when he dived at Pittman’s feet after a brilliant run from Colbeck.
Ainge’s header back across goal from Leesley’s centre found Colbeck,but once again Branagan saved the visitors.
The Town defence,with Danny Ellis outstanding,were finding it easy to contain Chorley’s pedestrian attacks,and the greatest danger came from Warren Burrell’s back header which Crook did well to tip over the bar.
With only seconds of added time left,sub Jack Emmett was tripped in the area by Stephen Jordan,but Leesley drove his second penalty straight at Branagan and Referee Martin Woods blew for time before he could net the rebound.
Town 1 Crook 2 Turner, 3 Parker,4 Agnew, 5 Ellis (c),6 Burrell,7 Colbeck (Emmett 78),8 Kerry (Pittman 18),9 Ainge,
10 Platt, 11 Leesley.
Unused subs Thirlwell,Day,Elliott (Gkpr). Booking Ainge
Scorers Leesley 13 pen,Ainge 38. Man of the Match Ellis. Att.972
Chorley 1 Branagan, 2 Challoner, 3 Jarvis, 4 Teague (c), 5 Leather (Walker 70),6 Jordan,7 Blakeman,8 Whitham (O’Keefe 81),9 Carver (McDaid (78),10 Sampson, 11 Cottrell.
Unused subs 12 Charnock,14 Roscoe. Bookings Leather,Jordan
Scorer Sampson 42.
By John Harrison.