MATCH REPORT: Chorley 1 Spennymoor 1: Chorley clinch promotion to the National League thanks to 4-3 penalty shoot out win

Matty Urwin's penalty shoot-out heroics sealed Chorley FC's place in the National League for the first time in 29 years.
Matty Urwin was the heroMatty Urwin was the hero
Matty Urwin was the hero

Matty Urwin's penalty shoot-out heroics sealed Chorley FC's place in the National League for the first time in 29 years.

After Alex Newby and Louis Almond missed their spot-kicks Urwin was the hero again to steer Chorley back to the National League.

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The Magpies did it the hard way again with Scott Leather's 102nd minute

cancelled out by Glen Taylor's 105th minute finish.

Then up stepped Urwin, who has only lost one penalty shoot out when he played for Blackburn Rovers U12s in Holland, that record remains.

Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio named an unchanged starting XI from the side that beat Altrincham on penalties in the semi-final.

The Magpies lined-up in their usual 3-5-2 formation and started brightly.

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After Spennymoor had asked questions on their right flank it was soon Chorley's turn with the lively Alex Newby causing problems and Andy Teague eventually whipping the ball in from the right.

It sailed towards left wing-back Adam Blakeman who tore in at the back post but his powerful header just flew over.

Spennymoor got in behind Chorley up the other end but .... could only pull the ball back to keeper Matty Urwin.

And the Moors got closer as the half progressed with their route one football.

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A long ball up from Williams was flicked on by Taylorand Hall but Ramshaw could not divert the chance goalbound with the Magpies at sea.

But Chorley looked hungry for an early goal and unlike in the semi-final Elliot and Alex Newby were able to get on the ball in the opening stages.

Alex Newby was felled as the Magpies countered and his subsequent set-piece eventually fell to Teague but his strike was comfortably collected by Matthew Gould.

The Magpies had made a nervous start against Altrincham but there were no signs of nerves in the opening stages of this game.

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Spennymoor were the only team to do the double over Vermiglio's side all season and though he stressed their was no element of revenge at play the players certainly looked like they had a point to prove.

Poetically the side that stood in the way of their National League dream had thwarted their title bid last month.

The Moors' last-gasp 1-0 victory saw Chorley lose their grip at the top of the table to Stockport County on the penultimate game of the campaign.

But given another shot through the play-offs they faced their old foes returned to try and stop their promotion quest again.

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Cottrell saw his first time effort from distance blocked and Carver could not quite get in ahead of Gould after the Magpies re-worked the ball.

They looked determined to book their place in the National League but just could not find that final touch of quality in the final third.

The Magpies were nearly the architects of their own downfall minutes later.

Cottrell and Leather tried to clear the same ball in the Magpies half and failed with Hall racing in.

But the Spennmoor man's angled effort flew over the bar.

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Chorley's hit-man Josh Wilson should have done better when he found himself unmarked in the box for a Blakeman corner.

Wilson had run back towards the penalty spot but his free header sailed over with the capacity crowd waiting for the net to bulge.

The Magpies pressed and kept knocking on the door but still that goal would not come with Blakeman's curling effort just nodded away from goal by a yellow shirt after an intelligent short corner routine with Eliiot Newby.

The Magpies did get the ball in the back of the net in the first half but it would not count.

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Courtney Meppen-Walter found himself in acres of space to rifle the ball home but his celebrations were cut short as the assistant rightly held up his flag.

The Magpies again started strongly but they looked susceptible on the break from corners with centre-halves Meppen-Walter and Teague in the opposition box.

Hall surged out of his own half and brushed off a Challinor challenge to out pace last man Cottrell.

But he could only tamely fire the ball at Urwin, the referee booking Challinor for that earlier foul when play had stopped.

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Blakeman saw an effort deflected wide as Chorley won yet another corner.

But the Magpies again failed to make their set-pieces pay.

Some great defending by Challoner thwarted Spennymoor in the box in what became an end-to-end affair.

But it was Spennymoor that looked like they had more bite in the final third as the game progressed.

Leather gave away a cheap free-kick on the right and the Moors were so close from the subsequent set-piece.

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Brogan's delivery flashed across the face of goal and bounced to top goalscorer Taylor at the back stick but he could only bundle the ball wide.

But that woke the Magpies up as Wilson danced his way through in the box before a last-gasp tackle prevented him from pulling the trigger.

Meppen-Walter thundered a free-kick just over the bar but the Magpies still could not find that golden touch.

They kept knocking at the door with Blakeman's set-piece from the right falling plum to Leather in the box but he could only stab the ball at Gould.

Chorley dominated but again could not find that final ball.

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Vermiglio made a change in the 83rd minute as Wilson came off to a standing ovation and Louis Almond entered the fray.

He was straight in the action as he fired Cottrell's quick free-kick over the bar.

Again Chorley won a free-kick this time Blakeman nearly outfoxed Gould.

With the keeper expecting a cross the wing-back went for goal and his effort just fizzed past the right stick.

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Carver and Almond looked dangerous as the Magpies tried to get a goal in normal time but they had to settle for extra-time.

Chorley kept up where they left off and again went close to opening the scoring.

Alex Newby's curling set-piece was fumbled by Gould into the path of Teague but the skipper could not divert the ball home.

Almond was in the thick of the action as he gave the Spennymoor defence headaches.

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Chorley finally got their goal as Leather nodded home Blakeman's corner from the right in the 102nd minute.

But Spennymoor fought back with Taylor squeezing the ball under Urwin after he was left unmarked.

Urwin was forced into a fine save to thwart Brogan's free-kick as the Magpies defended resolutely.

But neither side could find a goal and it went to penalties.

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Once again Matty Urwin was the hero with three penalty saves to clinch a 4-3 win.

Chorley: Urwin, Challoner, Teague, Leather, Meppen-Walter, Blakeman, E Newby, Cottrell (O'Keefe, 119) E Newby, Carver, Wilson. Subs not used: O'Keefe, Anson, Jordan, Hooper.

Spennymoor: Gould, Williams, Brogan, Chandler, Harrison (Atkinson, 96), Curtis, Hall, Hibs (Johnson, 64), Taylor, Ramshaw, Hawkins (Anderson, 96). Subs not used: Elliot, Boyes.

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Rosie Swarbrick