Chorley sunk by late goals at Victory Park on New Year’s Day

After a drab opening 15 minutes the game threatened to break out when Alex Newby’s free-kick was cleared far enough to give the visitors a three-on-one breakaway.

Luckily for the Magpies, JJ Hooper delayed his pass before deciding to shoot, allowing Matt Urwin the chance to save comfortably.

The only other real chance of the first half ended with Courtney Meppen-Walter hammering a clearance behind from under his own crossbar to deny Hooper a tap-in after Paul Rutherford had wriggled away along the left byline.

A Marcus Carver header from a Martin Smith centre gave the home side hope before half time, and although the second half began in disjointed fashion, the Magpies finally managed a decent chance.

Smith hit Carver with a diagonal pass that the forward headed down for Elliot Newby to strike, but Rob Lainton in the away goal was equal to it.

It was the last bit of positivity for the home side, however, as Devonte Redmond gave the visitors a 72nd-minute lead with a close-range header.

Then Omari Patrick curled a stunning effort beyond Urwin from distance to finish the game as a contest with 10 minutes remaining.

Chorley: Urwin, Challoner, Blakeman, Teague 
(Massanka 78), Meppen-Walters, A Newby, Carver, E Newby, Ross, Cottrell (Holroyd 78), Smith. Subs not used: O’Keefe, Baines, Nortey.

Wrexham: Lainton, Jennings (c), Lawlor, Young, Redmond, Grant, Carrington, Rutherford (Reid 63), Kennedy, Patrick (Harris 90), Hooper (Oswell 
84). Subs not used: Dibble, Barton.

Attendance: 1,684