Unibond First Division North

08 November 2008

Cogs brace clamps Magpies

by Ken Milgate

Chorley FC 1 – Sharrock 63                                            Durham City 3 – Cogdon 21, 54, Johnston 40

After a series of cup matches City returned to the bread and butter of the Unibond League with their second away victory of the season.

On 6minutes Calvin Smith found John Toft on the right wing with a pinpoint pass from the halfway line, the number 7 then cutting inside before hitting a rising drive over the bar.

Six minutes later Calvin fed Stephen Harrison whose cross was only a fraction too high for the unmarked Gavin Cogdon at the back post to direct his header more on target.

For the hosts Roger Sharrock crossed only for Ashley Parillon to blaze his long-range shot well over.

The home keeper, Peter Collinge, needed to move smartly off his line on 19minutes to deny Cogdon making more of another Calvin pass.

City eventually scored the goal they threatened on 21minutes when Tommy English split the home defence for Cogdon to draw the keeper before slipping the ball past him into the bottom corner.

The first corner fell to Chorley, James Mullineux heading over.

A beautiful pass by Johnston set Cogdon free on the right, but he pulled his shot wide of the far post with a defender bearing down on him and reducing the angle.

Five minutes before the break City’s superior attacking play brought a second goal, Lewis Dodds piercing the backline to set up Johnston who managed to hold off three defenders before beating Collinge in the bottom corner.

Collinge again deserted his post to deny Cogdon and Johnston pulled a shot wide of the post as City dominated the opening forty five minutes.

The hosts showed more spirit in the opening minutes of the second half, Jordan Connerton firing wide at the back post and Gavin Ellison equally off target when City failed to clear their lines before Mike Eckersley sent a free-header wide.

But City came out of their shell on 54 minutes when Collinge produced an excellent save to keep out a Johnston free-kick but forfeited his brownie point when he claimed but failed to gather the ball from the corner, Calvin at the back post slipping inside for Cogdon to net from some six yards.

Calvin was within a couple of inches of capping a fine game in midfield when he almost caught the advanced Collinge napping with a shot from the half way line.

The three-goal lead should have given City a comfortable base from which to improve the GD column but instead they conceded their first League goal in open play, Sharrock scoring from some ten yards despite Harrison’s despairing lunge to clear.

The goal visibly restored Chorley’s spirits, and Craig Turns had to be at his most alert to deny Sharrock at the foot of the post a minute later.

Stephen Capper and Dodds both saw long-range efforts way off target, but what City needed was a lift in their general play rather than relying on speculative efforts.

The defence opted for caution and defended in greater numbers, allowing Chorley to mount a grandstand finish, but the only threat to City was snuffed by a fabulous reflex save by Turns with his feet to deny substitute Adam Crossley at the base of the post after the keeper could only parry an angled shot from outside the box.

But as Chorley pushed men forward Collinge was fortunate to rob Cogdon in the final minute as he chased his hat-trick.

Calvin Smith caught the eye in the first half as he beavered away all over the pitch, but the team performance in the second half was a comparative simmer and a lost opportunity to record an even more decisive victory.   City’s great run of late has made me greedy for more, but in the context of the season as a whole three points are a welcome return from yet another trans-Pennine journey.

Chorley FC – Collinge, Finch (Burke 73), Henry, Mullineux, Smalley, Ellison, Eckersley, Parillon, Connerton (Crossley 85), Goodeve, Sharrock

Man of the match – Roger Sharrock

Durham City – Turns, Harrison, Capper, Dodds, Dixon, Laws, Toft (Duke 76), Calvin Smith, Cogdon (Richard Smith 90+2), Johnston (Steven Richardson 84), English

Subs not used – Fisher, Morris

Yellow Card – Michael Laws

Man of the match – Calvin Smith