Bank holiday non-league round-up

The search for a Chorley win in the National League North goes on, with the sequence since the opening day victory at Kidderminster now stretching to six games following a 0-0 draw at Bradford Park Avenue on bank holiday Monday.
Chorley boss Matt JansenChorley boss Matt Jansen
Chorley boss Matt Jansen

Although this second successive stalemate was similar in its lack of incident to Saturday’s goalless draw with Brackley at Victory Park, it was Chorley who looked the more likely to win it.

Matt Jansen’s men made a bright start and the first hint of a goal came midway through the half when a neat build-up led to Marcus Carver nodding the ball down to Josh Wilson who skied his shot over.

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The Magpies came closer on 35 minutes when Wilson’s cross-cum-shot beat veteran keeper Steve Drench, only for a defender to make a last-ditch saving clearance.

Matty Hughes, making his debut from the bench, was sent clean through but was denied by Drench.

Late Chorley pressure brought a last-minute corner but Adam Blakeman’s good delivery was headed over by Andy Teague.

Jansen said: “I was very pleased with today’s performance. It’s another clean-sheet, we were very solid and we were a bigger threat than Bradford were.

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“We could easily have nicked it towards the end, especially when Matty Hughes was played through.

“It showed we were the greater threat when it was their keeper wasting time in the closing minutes.”

Elsewhere, Southport went down 2-1 at Salford City after Michael Jennings gave them an 18th-minute lead.

But Emmanuel Dieseruvwe levelled and an own goal from Jacques Kpohomouh gave City the points.

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Meanwhile, 10-man Bamber Bridge were denied a home victory at the death as they conceded an equaliser in the last minute to draw 2-2 with Colwyn Bay in the NPL First Division North.

Neil Reynolds’ men had to play the entire second half a man down after left-back Adam Dodd was red carded for something he said to the referee with the hosts leading 1-0. That lead had been handed to them by Matt Dudley who struck a 30-yard thunderbolt on 19 minutes .

The Seagulls levelled the match seven minutes after the break when Will Booth rose high at the back post to head home.

However, skipper Matt Lawlor restored Brig’s lead a minute later when his header was fumbled into the goal by goalkeeper Matt Cooper.

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However, Brig conceded when Astley Mulholland headed home late on.

Elsewhere, Kendal Town drew 1-1 at home to Clitheroe, while, in the NPL Premier Division, hosts Lancaster City won 1-0 against Stalybridge Celtic.