Linnets narrowly beaten in play-off eliminator

Chorley 1 King’s Lynn Town 0Brave King’s Lynn Town suffered play-off anguish after Chorley Town edged a tight affair at Victory Park.Mark Ellis popped up with the winner six minutes from time to break Lynn hearts after a valiant effort on their travels.Linnets boss Adam Lakeland made three changes from the team beaten 3-0 at home by Chester on Saturday as he went for a side packed with experience.Defender Kian Ronan missed out through injury and was replaced by Freddie Sass, while Matt Warburton and Gold Omotayo both returned to the line-up at the expense of Ross Crane and Jonny Margetts, who dropped to the bench.Freescoring Chorley finished the regulation season fifth in the table – one spot above Lynn – following a 5-1 win at Rushall Olympic on the final day of the campaign.A long throw from Freddie Sass caused panic in the home defence and Warburton saw two efforts blocked in quick succession as Lynn made a bright start. Chorley responded with Mark Ellis’ header from a deep corner being headed off the line by Josh Hmami as the game approached the 10-minute mark. Paul Jones was the first of the two goalkeepers called into action as he turned Adam Blakeman’s effort behind for a corner as the hosts began to grow into the game.Lynn missed a great opportunity to get their noses in front midway through the first half.Tom Wilson and Warburton combined to send Greg Taylor clear down the left and his cross was met by Omotayo who headed straight into the arms of Matty Urwin. Chorley started the second half all guns blazing, but it was Lynn who almost made the breakthrough after 56 minutes when Josh Hmami struck the post from a Sass long throw before the follow-up was somehow scrambled off the line.The spell of Lynn pressure lifted the travelling fans behind the Chorley goal and Tom Wilson’s header flashed over the woodwork after a brilliant Hmami cross from the right byline. Chorley broke straight up the other end and Lynn goalkeeper Paul Jones pulled off a brilliant save with his legs to deny Tom Carr.The deadlock was broken six minutes from time. Jones saved well from a quickly taken free-kick and Ellis swept home the rebound to set up a semi-final clash at Scunthorpe United on Saturday. The other quarter-final tomorrow sees Chester host Buxton with the winners set to travel to third-placed Kidderminster at the weekend.Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Ellis, Wilson, Blakeman, Calveley, Horbury, Senior, Carr, Hall, Clarke (Whitehouse 71). Subs: Smith, Nolan, Touray, Moore, Lalkovic, LeckieKing’s Lynn Town: Jones, Sass (Crane 90), McFadden, Coulson (Barnes 90), Wilson, Crowe, Johnson, Taylor (Williams 90), Hmami, Warburton, Omotayo. Subs: Margetts, Walker, Boyes, MarsdenAttendance; 2,665