Youth duo make loan move to Chorley

ROCHDALE AFC has confirmed that secondyear scholars Isaac Ward and Keith Kearney have joined Chorley FC on loan for a month.

Ward and Kearney, both defenders for the club’s Youth Team, impressed against Chorley in a pre-season friendly when they featured for the Dale First Team in July.

PDP Lead Coach Chris Brown believes it will be a great experience for the pair.

“Chorley were really impressed with the lads when they played against them in pre-season and had asked about the possibility of them going out on loan there, and Keith Hill wanted them to go out on loan and experience men’s football,” he told the club’s official website.

“It’s a great experience for them. It’ll be a different type of football – winning at all costs football.

“They’re only young lads and they’ll be coming up against fully grown men who have been around the block, so it’s going to be a test for them.”

Ward started in Chorley’s goalless draw at home to Brackley on Saturday, whilst Kearney came on as a late substitute, as they helped the Magpies to a clean sheet against the league leaders on their debuts.

Chorley ply their trade in National League North, and reached the play-off final last year, where they lost to FC Halifax Town.

Meanwhile, a very youthful Youth Team were beaten 4-0 by Port Vale in their opening group stage game of the EFL Youth Alliance Cup.

Due to goalkeeper Brad Wade’s involvement with the first team, an opportunity was presented to 13-year-old Brad Kelly to start the match, and with Kearney and Ward having joined Chorley, several players from the club’s under 16s were named in the squad.

Vale flew into a 3-0 lead before Dale finished the half strongly with Neil Kuemo hitting the top of the crossbar with a teasing cross, before he had an effort cleared off the line moments later from Fabio Tavares’ pull back.

Tavares had an effort deemed offside before Vale completed their scoring ten minutes into the second half with a clinical finish.