A duo of second half goals saw Moors record their first league win since August after a dominant display against Chorley at The Brewery Field.
Danny Johnson opened the scoring with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, before Junior Mondal sealed the victory with just four minutes to play after a good counter from Moors.
Moors started the game well, as Darren Palmer slipped Ethan Moore in behind. He broke into the area, but saw his low effort stopped well by Jake Oram.
The visitors could only conjure up a half chance as the first half progressed, as Adam Blakeman watched his effort from distance fly well over the crossbar.
A smartly worked free-kick from 35-yards almost gave Moors the opener, as Glen Taylor played a low ball out to Mondal on the left hand side. The number 11 whipped the ball back into the area, which found Taylor, only for his acrobatic effort to go over the bar.
Chorley were forced into some impressive defensive work with just a few minutes remaining in the opening 45. The first came as Fin Holcroft’s powerful effort had to be charged down by a Magpie defender, before Mondal’s low ball into the area was turned behind for a Moors corner shortly after.
Taylor saw two chances go begging in quick succession just before the break, as neither his Volleyed effort at the back post, nor his low driven free-kick on the edge of the area could find the target.
Andy Preece’s men started the second half well, as Matt Urwin was forced into his first real actions of the afternoon. The former Chorley shot-stopper was on hand to parry Elliott Taylor’s cross away from danger, before doing well to claim a deflected effort from Steven Bala.
Urwin was there again to deny a Chorley chance soon after, as Bala’s effort from the edge of the area had to be tipped wide of the mark.
Moors found the lead on the hour mark courtesy of Johnson’s first touch of the game. George Cantrill’s long throw into the area was only half cleared by the visitors, allowing Mondal to fire a pass back into the area. The ball ricochet into the path of Taylor, who flicked the ball towards Johnson at the back post, where he thumped home into the roof of the net having only been brought onto the pitch moments earlier.
The visitors looked to respond immediately through chances from Billy Whitehouse and Taylor. However neither could find the net, as Taylor saw his strike trickle wide of the left post, before Urwin produced a huge stop to deny Whitehouse.
Johnson looked to grab his second of the game when he took aim after a good turn inside the penalty area. His low effort, though, was swept up by Oram at his near post.
Urwin was again on hand to thwart Chorley’s attempts at an equaliser, this time denying Captain, Mike Calveley, as his powerful shot from inside the area was somehow tipped onto the crossbar by the Moors ‘keeper.
Moors’ goalscorer saw a further duo of chances go amiss as time began to wind down. Johnson attempted to chip the former Moors loanee from the edge of the area, which Oram routinely stopped, before his strike from inside the area flew over the bar soon after.
Peter Hartley’s side did go on to find their second of the afternoon with 86 minutes on the clock, as Mondal fired home. A good counter attack from Moors saw Cantrill break forward and into the penalty area, where he played a sideward pass into the run of Mondal to his left. The number 11 took aim, and found the bottom right corner to seal the three points.
It could’ve been three in stoppage time, as Moors broke away from a Chorley corner. Johnson picked the ball up inside his own half, before slipping a ball through to Taylor. He drove towards the penalty area, before sliding a low shot on goal, which was well saved by Oram.
Full time: Moors 2 Chorley 0
Moors: Urwin, Holcroft, Eguaibor, Digbeu (Whelan 76), Pani, Mondal, Young, Cantrill, Palmer (Dolan 60), Taylor, Moore (Johnson 60)
Subs not used: James, Miller, Bennett, Rehman
Booked: Palmer 35, Pani 45, Dolan 81
Referee: Bilal Moosa
Attendance: 1048
Written by Noah Betts
Photo by David Airey