Vitinha's wonder strike edges Wolves past battling Chorley
There is a famous scene in the 2009 film The Damned United when Brian
Clough attempts to motivate his newly-promoted Derby County side for a game against Leeds United in typical Clough fashion. “John McGovern and Billy Bremner? Equals,” Clough, portrayed by Michael Sheen, bellows. “Kevin Hector and Johnny Giles? Equals.”
Ultimately for Chorley, the biggest night of their 138-year history ended in defeat here, but for 90 engrossing minutes, you could barely split two sides separated by 111 places on the footballing pyramid. European Championship winner João Moutinho and
Mike Calveley? Equals. England international Conor Coady and young striker Connor Hall? Equals.
Memorable FA Cup runs like this one Chorley have crafted, beating three league sides on their way to round four for the first time in their history, can sometimes end with a whimper. That was certainly the fear here after 12 minutes, when Vitinha’s magnificent longrange strike flew past Matt Urwin and gave Wolves an early lead.
But this Chorley side, who face an uncertain period in their own future after the National League North season was suspended on Friday , do not buckle. From the moment Vitinha scored what proved to be the winning goal to book Wolves’ place in round five, it was the non-league side, not their Premier League opponents, who dominated proceedings.
Chorley pressed, they hassled and, most tellingly, they worried a Wolves side with five full internationals in their starting line-up. Three more, Pedro Neto, Rúben Neves and Adama Traoré, came on with 20 minutes left to try and kill their spirit. They couldn’t succeed. The lowest-ranked side left in this season’s FA Cup undoubtedly left with their heads held high.
“I feel really proud, but ultimately I’m disappointed,” said Jamie Vermiglio, the Chorley manager who left his job as a headteacher at midday to be ready to take charge here. “If one of those chances goes in, who knows. We’ve taken a Premier League side all the way: they knew they were in a game until the very last minute.”
Not that Wolves will have enjoyed a second of this bitterly cold night in Lancashire, though. Their recent struggles were emphasised here, as they narrowly edged into the next round by the slenderest of margins. But as any Wolves supporter will testify to following their recent issues in front of goal, scoring is really all that matters in football.
Thankfully for them, that is what Vitinha did in what was anything but a sign of things to comee over the remainder of the tie. But the frailties which have engulfed Wolves’ poor form of late were here in plain sight at Victory Park: namely the lack of cutting edge and creativity in front of goal. One shot on target all night underlines that. It was, at the very least however, job done in respect to the task at hand.
“We’re through, but credit to Chorley,” Nuno Espírito Santo said. “We should have done better, but not in terms of our attitude. The scenario was there for a surprise to happen; I’ve played lower divisions against big teams and I know what it meant for Chorley.” How different this night could have been if one of the opportunities that came Chorley’s way had squirmed in.
The best of them fell to defender Andy Halls with half an hour remaining, when his header prompted a fantastic reaction save from John Ruddy which, in hindsight, ensured Wolves weren’t taken to extra time by the non-league side. “He did his job,” Nuno said of the goalkeeper.
The warning signs were there for Wolves from the opening two minutes, when Elliot Newby’s shot was smartly saved by Ruddy. Vitinha’s superb strike made you wonder if Wolves would pull clear, but Chorley would not let them settle all evening, epitomised by Willem Tomlinson’s shot, which flashed wide of Ruddy’s goal on the stroke of half-time.
The pattern continued after the break. With Wolves struggling to create chances, the best opportunities came for the hosts. Hall’s glancing header was saved by Ruddy, before he volleyed over as Chorley continued to threaten an equaliser and the prospect of extra time.
But in the end, Ruddy’s excellent save from Halls’ header was the big moment. Wolves held firm defensively, though you wouldn’t have known which side was pushing for the playoffs in the sixth tier, and which is pushing for European football, as Chorley pushed for a late equaliser in vain.
“I don’t know if this game will stay in the memory of many people,” Nuno said. There are a fair few people in this Lancashire town who will disagree with that sentiment. This wasn’t Chorley’s night, but the experience, the memories and crucial cash injections which have preceded it will be remembered for a long time.
They are prudently run and won’t, Duff says, bet the ranch but a televised teatime kick-off generates valuable income for a club facing a £1m loss owing to the pandemic. A crowdfunder led by the fans’ group 1887 Red
Army has raised more than £25,000, and the club have sold “virtual tickets” and produced a striking specialedition matchday programme with the City fan Kevin Cummins, the renowned music photographer who worked with Oasis: 50% of programme proceeds are going to FareShare, the charity fighting hunger and food waste. The cover stars? The Gallagher brothers, of course.
Ordinarily, this game would put Cheltenham on the map but Tom King’s goal for Newport on Tuesday, which has since entered the Guinness World Records for the “longest goal” at 96.01m, went some way to spotlighting the club. The match on Saturday, Duff says, is the biggest free hit in history but Cheltenham hope City coming to town could earn more than £250,000.
“It’s money we haven’t budgeted for and that’s the beauty of the FA Cup,” says Godfrey. “Our journey began against South Shields of the Northern
Premier League and now we’re hosting Manchester City. Peter Crouch putting his hand in and pulling out that ball makes a world of difference.”