Glory goes to Chorley but the Rams kids deserve praise
AS with so much in football during these strange times and in this strange season, the story often lies behind the story. This was the case with Derby County’s FA Cup exit.
The record books in years to come will show a 2-0 victory for Chorley of National League North, a team in the sixth tier of English football and sitting 83 places below Championship club Derby. The result will suggest a huge shock in the famous old competition.
When the draw was made, Derby were overwhelming favourites in what was viewed as a tricky third round tie at Victory Park against determined opponents who had already knocked out League One sides Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United. What happened in a crazy week building up to the game flipped those odds on their head.
An outbreak of Covid-19 with several first-team staff members and players testing positive forced Derby to close their training ground on the Monday and the entire first team squad and coaching staff, including interim manager Rooney, had to take the precautionary measure of going into self-isolation and missed the game.
Derby had to turn to players from their under-23 and under-18 squads and even then they were hit by injuries and late withdrawals due to coronavirus tests.
In the end, they lined up with five 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old in a team with an average age of 19. The oldest player was Joe Bateman at 22. None of the 19 on duty had made a first team appearance for the Rams, which meant 14 debuts on the day.
The effort, the endeavour, the commitment and the performance of those youngsters to recover from conceding an early goal and to stay in the tie until late on deserved all of the plaudits received. The occasion, the contest, the demands should provide invaluable experience in their development.
Circumstances made Chorley favourites and they deservedly won to progress to the fourth round for the first time in their 138-year history, a magnificent achievement. Everyone at the club deserves to enjoy the moment to the full and look forward to the draw.
And what a boost financially for Chorley.
They made £250,000 from Saturday’s game and could make up to £500,000, depending on what happens in the next round. Not only does such a windfall help keep the club going, it will allow them to grow and the game needs a strong, healthy pyramid system.
Chorley would have cherished
welcoming Rooney and Derby’s first team players to Victory Park because such moments encapsulate the magic of the FA Cup. That wasn’t to be – but there was still some magic.
From the Chorley groundsman sleeping under the huge blanket covering the pitch the night before, keeping an eye on things to ensure the game beat the frost, to supporters seeking vantage points to watch the action as coronavirus restrictions continue to keep them away from grounds. Some fans peered over the fences of their gardens which back on to Victory Park, while two others had a bird’s-eye view from a cherry picker!
Buckets of boiling water were poured along the frozen touchline in the shadow of the main stand before kick-off as an army of volunteers set to work with spades to disperse the ice amid temperatures that barely reached freezing.
It was a Herculean effort by Chorley, matching a Herculean cup run that continued thanks to goals from striker Connor Hall and midfielder Mike Calveley.
Hall was a prolific scorer in a loan spell with Mickleover Sports in 2016-17 and the 22-year-old headed in from close range in the 10th minute after Derby failed to deal with a corner.
Chorley’s greater physical presence, especially at set-pieces, was always likely to give Derby’s youngsters problems and they had to survive a number of corners in the first half. They did and grew into the game, both physically and in belief.
This was recognised by Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio, who combines his job as manager with being headteacher of a primary school in Warrington.
“It’s a very proud moment for us, a monumental day for the football club and I feel proud to be a part of it,” he said.
“Credit to them (Derby), I think they deserve a lot of credit for that performance, considering they were 17 and 18-year-old lads who really stood up to a test in the first 20 minutes. We got a goal at a really good time and then in the second half we got another that relieved a little bit of pressure.”
Calveley’s goal six minutes from time settled the match after a spirited and improved second-half showing from Derby. There was more belief about the youngsters in the second period but they never
quite fashioned a clear sight of goal, nor worked the home goalkeeper, as they chased an equaliser.
“They (the players) were carrying a lot of emotion going into the game,” said Derby’s senior professional development phase coach Pat Lyons.
“We knew by half-time the game would settle. The difficult conditions and the way they played made it difficult for us to get on the ball and pass it.
“We told them at half-time to be a bit braver in possession, pick up second balls, get your first pass in and play forward when you can, with quality, and we started the second half well. We just didn’t have enough threat to cause them enough problems to get a goal.”
Derby’s best opportunity came before Chorley took the lead. Isaac Hutchinson slid an excellent pass through for Cameron Cresswell, who raced into the area and went down under a challenge from keeper Matt Urwin.
At first, it seemed referee Kevin Friend had awarded a penalty but, after glancing to his assistant, the outcome was a free kick to Chorley.
That was a big chance for Cresswell to give Derby a dream start. He should have looked to finish rather than trying to go around the keeper on a bobbly surface. Had he tucked the chance away, who knows how things might have unfolded but, in the end, there can be no argument about the result.
Chorley scored two, they also hit the bar through Willem Tomlinson, saw Hutchinson clear from close to his own line following a scramble, while Hall was denied by Matt Yates – the son of former Rams defender Dean Yates – before Calveley headed wide when he should have scored. Their victory was thoroughly deserved.
Lyons spoke of his pride in his Derby players – and rightly so.
“We had to get this game on, we had to find a way, but the biggest thing from this is how the players adapted and how they have stood up to this occasion – all the media and it being on TV. So much credit has got to go to them,” he said.
There can only be one winner in cup ties but both teams emerged with plenty of credit.