[Archived] Match Report: Chorley 1- 0 Blackburn Rovers Under-21's

[Kamy100]

Parsonblue's match report from the under 21's game yesterday:

Friday 31^st July 2015 – Pre-Season Friendly

Chorley 1 v 0 Blackburn Rovers Under-21

Chorley (0) 1

Carver 88

Sam Ashton; Mark Ross, Matt Flynn, Andrew Teague (Kieran Charnock 46), Adam Dodd (Paul Jarvis 46); Dale Whitham, Adam Roscoe (Darren Stephenson 46); Josh Hine (Jack Lynch 64), Lewis Guy (Aaron Burns 71), Chris Almond (Sam Sheridan 46); Marcus Carver.

Sub not used: Kyle Haslam (gk), Henry Winger, Glen Blezika.

Manager: Matt Jansen

Blackburn Rovers Under-21 (0) 0

Andrew Fisher; Connor Thomson, Sam Lavelle (Jack Doyle 29), Scott Wharton, Mark Edgar; Connor Mahoney (Devarn Green 89), Lewis Hardcastle (Modou Cham 73), Joe Grayson, Dean Rittenberg (Luke Wall 89); David Carson; Menelik Chaka (Jordan Preston 46).

Subs not used: Ben Ascroft (gk).

Manager: Damien Johnson

Referee: Mr. R. Wilde

Bookings: None

Attendance: 849

For a pre-season friendly this was a fairly uncompromising affair with the home side, in particular, not holding back when it came to dishing out the physical stuff. Chances were at a premium but Chorley nicked it at the death with a goal from Marcus Carver, the striker on loan from Accrington Stanley. Ultimately, the experience of the Chorley players proved the decisive factor in the closing stages of a game which became something of a war of attrition in the midfield.

The Rovers gave a second outing to German trialist Menelik Chaka but otherwise it was the squad which is likely to form the Under-21 team this season. Chorley had a couple of familiar faces to watchers of East Lancashire football with Accrington Stanley loanee Marcus Carver leading the attack whilst former Stanley defender Kieran Charnock was on the bench.

The Rovers began with Chaka leading the attack supported by David Carson with Connor Mahoney and Dean Rittenberg occupying the wide positions. Young Joe Grayson was handed a midfield role with his father and former Rover Simon, watching from the stands along with a couple of other former Rovers’ players in the shape of David Dunn and Keith Brown.

The Rovers started brightly and an early cross from Mahoney caused panic in the home defence before Mark Ross cleared the danger.

Chorley responded with a lovely long kick from ‘keeper Sam Ashton which found Josh Hine in acres of space on the right wing. He, in turn, whipped over a centre which eventually landed at the feet of Adam Roscoe who shot wide. After seven minutes Roscoe again found himself in a good position and, once again, fired over.

On fifteen minutes the Rovers carved open the Chorley defence with a superb run by Mahoney which saw him deliver a dangerous cross into the box. Chaka ran in and although he threw himself at the ball he was just unable to reach it.

Chaka, who worked hard at closing down defenders, harried a defender into an error and found himself out wide in the penalty area with Ashton coming out of his goal to meet him. Although he seemed to get the better of Ashton he was unable to get the ball across and he had to settle for a throw-in.

Grayson let fly from distance but the ball flew wide whilst Andrew Fisher had no difficulty in coming and collecting a dangerous looking cross from Chris Almond.

The opening twenty minutes had proved a fairly even affair but neither side had been able to really open up the opposing defence. However, it was at this point that Fisher was called upon to make a really good save from a fiercely struck shot from Almond which, although at full stretch, he was able to push the ball away to safety.

On twenty-three minutes Carson, nipped in to intercept the ball and then put Mahoney in the clear with an inch perfect pass. The winger took the ball on and then fired a centre which went across the face of Ashton’s goal.

Five minutes later it was Carson’s turn to fluff a chance in front of goal, after Chaka found him in space.

It was certainly end to end stuff and some of the home side’s challenges were more than a little robust to say the least. Indeed, on more than one occasion John Filan was seen remonstrating with the officials about the type of challenges that were flying in. However, when Sam Lavelle slumped to the ground on twenty-nine minutes it was the result of an accidental clash of heads with Carver. The Scottish youth international centre-back had to leave the field with a cut and was replaced by Jack Doyle which resulted in Mark Edgar moving to centre-back to enable Doyle to play in his normal left-back position.

Chorley fashioned another opportunity from a cross but although Almond met the ball well he headed wide. Carson was then on the receiving end of a very high challenge from Adam Dodd. In normal circumstance it might well have resulted in a red card but at the very least a booking. Inexplicably the referee just had a few words with the defender whilst Carson received lengthy treatment but, fortunately, was able to continue.

Carson, who was always in the thick of the action for the Rovers, played in Grayson who shot wide whilst at the other end Connor Thomson was forced to clear his lines when Hine looked to get on the end of a hopeful ball into the box. Scott Wharton then headed clear a dangerous looking cross from Carver.

As the half came to a close Chaka harried a defender by the bye-line, took the ball from him and ran towards the near post. As the ‘keeper came to meet him he pulled the ball back to Carson who, although in front of goal, didn’t strike the ball cleanly and it bounced just wide of the far post. It was a glorious opportunity which really ought to have been taken.

Although goalless the first forty-five minutes had been a fiercely competitive affair for a pre-season friendly.

At the start of the second period the home side made four changes whilst the Rovers replaced Chaka with Jordan Preston.

It was the Rovers who began the half on the front foot and Carson whipped in a super cross to the far post where Dean Rittenberg, under pressure from a defender, headed wide.

The home side responded with Lewis Guy finding himself clear of the visiting defence but he fired over.

The second half seemed to lack the bite of the first period with neither side really taking control of things. Preston almost got on the end of a weak back pass but Ashton was out quickly to deny him. A long range effort from Darren Stephenson was comfortably held by Fisher.

On 59 minutes the Rovers threatened the home goal thanks to some smart work by Lewis Hardcastle. He nipped in to intercept the ball and fed Carson who raced into the area and struck a fierce shot which stung the hands of Ashton as he managed to palm the ball away.

A long ball went over the heads of the Rovers backline and enabled Guy to run clear before a last ditch tackle by Wharton robbed him just as he was about to shoot.

Mahoney, who along with Carson, was orchestrating some of the best moments for the Rovers tested Ashton with a long range effort before excellent work by Preston and Carson created an opportunity for the former Accrington winger to whip in another threatening centre which flew across the face of the goal.

Carver, who had been a handful all night, played in Aaron Burns in front of goal but his shot was wildly struck and flew well wide.

More excellent work from Carson, who was my ‘Man of the Match’ for Rovers, played in Preston who took the ball into the area and then fired into the side netting from a narrowing angle.

On 88 minutes the home side snatched the goal which decided the game from a set-piece. A corner taken by Dale Whitham was played to the near post where Carver evaded his marker and then powered home a header which found the back of the net.

The Rovers introduced Devarn Green and Luke Wall but there was no time for either to alter the destiny of the match.

A narrow defeat, the second in a week to local non-League opposition, but a game from which the Rovers could take much encouragement from the performance of a number of their younger players. Carson was excellent whilst Mahoney and Edgar were not far behind.