Bradford PA 1

Chorley 1

CHORLEY could hardly have left it any later to salvage a deserved point from this tough opening UniBond First Division fixture.

Danny Mills rifled home the equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal a point for the Magpies.

Mills fully deserved his moment of glory after standing out in a very workmanlike display.

It was all Chorley in the opening 20 minutes when Matt Swailes just failed to reach a searching cross from Dave Eatock at the back post and a real 30 yard fizzer from Mills skimmed the Bradord bar.

The Magpies survived a scare when Phil Denney went down under a double challenge in the box.

But the reprieve lasted only three minutes as Mick Thompson rode several challenges and cleverly lobbed the advancing Simon Marsh on the half hour.

A back injury forced central defender Simon Kay to miss the second half, but Chorley more than held their own against a Park Avenue side who created few openings.

Steve Hook headed disappointingly wide from an excellent Paul Fleming cross in the 89th minute, but there was still time for Mills to have the final say, collecting a long punt from Marsh and shooting into the net off the right hand post.