2:15pm Monday 15th March 2010
GOALS flow when Chorley and Rossendale United take to the field.
In fact, the two UniBond First Division North rivals could have been playing their own pontoon contest as their combined 59 league matches prior to Saturday had seen 192 goals.
So not many gamblers would have staked their hard earned on the pair drawing a blank as they clashed at Victory Park.
But despite the stalemate in a clash that simmered rather than boiled, both sides showed enough to suggest brighter times are around the corner after troubled campaigns.
While a 0-0 draw never does much to cheer, United boss John Hughes could leave Victory Park happier than Chorley counterpart Steve Waywell as United found the resolve to battle for their point in a third match without defeat.
Hughes has been busy bringing in a host of new faces and in the vastly experienced Ryan-Zico Black, he has the talisman.
Black was marshalled superbly by the outstanding Stuart Howson - but still had the spark to lift the game.
And his wonderful reverse pass led to the game’s major talking point midway through the first half.
As Dan Shannon, another recent signing, read the pass and raced clear he was cleaned out by Chorley’s Jamie Nay who was fortunate that referee Tommy Pinder decided a yellow card was sufficient and Chorley, who are now five games without a win, could breath easy.
From that moment, they had the better of the game but Chris Amadi twice hesitated in front of goal and Lee Shillito was denied by a smart Tom Brocklehurst save before hitting the post with the rebound.
After the break, Chorley sub Danny Nolan was denied by Brocklehurst three times but Chorley’s on-loan Bury keeper Ritchie Branagan, son of Bolton legend Keith, also had to be alert to deny Black, who for once turned Howson to create space.
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