Chorley 2 AFC Telford 1 - Report and pictures

Telford had secured their safety seven days prior, and it was a good job, as Rob Smith's side lost three of four defenders of an already shuffled side to injury before the hour mark.

With Chorley netting a first-half lead, Josh Wilson's bizarre and unlikely equaliser looked to have snatched an unpredictable point but for the late penalty decision two minutes from time.

Smith and Larry Chambers were quickly prowling their technical area to ensure that this one does not go full damp squib end-of-season mode - and the travelling Bucks began fairly well.

Wilson, handed the captain's armband for the first time this season with Jack Rea rested and Dave Hibbert absent, buzzed around and created an opening for John Cofie who flashed it across the box.

Immediately it became apparent that the Telford backline would have to be on their game to deal with Chorley top scorer Darren Stephenson.

The hitman had 16 National League North goals before kick-off and had Curtis Tilt and Graham Hutchison on their toes.

The Bucks were handed a warning as Chorley looked to take advantage of a quick corner as Paul Jarvis lashed an effort wide of the from 25 yards.

Chorley (4-4-2): Ashton, Ross, Beesley, Teague ©, Charnock, Meppen-Walter, Jarvis, Whitham (Lynch, 86), Connerton (Evans, 69), Stephenson, Cottrell.

Unused subs: Roscoe, Dorney, Cookson

AFC Telford United (4-3-3): Montgomery, Reid, Brownhill (Campion, 42), Hutchison (Rea, 59), Tilt (Simpson, 52), Dawson, Wynter, Grogan, McCarthy, Cofie, Wilson ©.

Unused subs: Samuels, Edge

Attendance: 1,247

Mike Grogan, who slotted back into the middle of the park following his suspension against Worcester City, was well-placed on his own six-yard box to clear Telford's lines following good pressure from the hosts.

With Smith barking at both his charges and the officials, the Bucks dropped deeper and Chorley continued to impress, roared on by a significant backing at Victory Park.

It came as no real surprise when the hosts made the breakthrough midway through the first-half, and it was little shock that Stephenson added to his haul for the season.

A decent bit of build-up down the Chorley right, involving full-back Mark Ross helped make it.

Ross advanced behind Kyle Brownhill before cutting it back to the penalty spot where Stephenson was on-hand for his 17th of the campaign.

The deserved opener brought the Bucks out of their shell a little more and they were unfortunate as from Izak Reid's cross, Wilson fired an acrobatic bicycle over the top.

Smith's men improved and their first quality move of the afternoon saw them inches from a leveller.

The front three of Connor McCarthy, John Cofie and Wilson combined well as the former reached the byline and crossed for Wilson who was only denied by a terrific defensive block.

While Stephenson's strength and burst of pace looked like having the beating of Graham Hutchison, his defensive partner Curtis Tilt was earning another feather in his cap.

Tilt dealt terrifically with the dangerman a handful of times in the first period.

The half largely fizzled out though, with a bad looking injury to stand-in left-back Brownhill, who limped off after a lengthy stoppage to be replaced by Darren Campion.

A frenetic opening to the second-half was not predicted in the bitter northern sunshine, Jordan Wynter conceded a foul within the opening five seconds and it led to a real Chorley opening.

Stephenson escaped in the six-yard box and his goalbound finish was heading in until defender Kieran Charnock's intervention - which had the move pulled up for offside.

Straight down the other end, a Lucas Dawson free-kick bend delicious to Chorley's back post and was bundled over the line by Tilt, only to be pulled up for a second offside infringement in a minute.

A bizarre half continued in that manner as, before the hour mark, the bucks were forced to use their two remaining substitutions.

Reece Simpson made his league bow coming on for Tilt, who had a chest injury, before Jack Rea replaced the injured Hutchison.

A mismatched Telford line-up was wilting at the hands of Chorley who kept creating through Stephenson, the frontman turned Campion only to shoot at goalkeeper James Montgomery.

The game didn't need another moment of comedy, but Montgomery's lose free-kick from outside his area was almost punished by Ross whose volley from 70 yards was a foot wide.

The most bizarre 90 minutes of the season continued in that manner as the Bucks drew level in the most surreal circumstances.

A Dawson free-kick was met by left-back Will Beesley, who somehow managed to head against his own crossbar, leaving Wilson the easy task of nodding home his seventh goal of the season.

Somehow the Bucks had snatched the ascendency and Simpson almost become the most unlikely hero, cutting inside and seeing his strike deflected gratefully at Ashton.

With eight minutes remaining, makeshift centre-half Wynter misjudged a high ball and Chorley sub Micah Evans controlled before sending a volley off Montgomery's post.

The impressive Stephenson kept searching for a winner and after a fine turn on Grogan only a sublime Campion block kept him out.

The hosts kept on, however, and Stephenson looked to escape Rea before the Bucks sub slid in and brought the frontman down, leaving referee Alf Greenwood pointing to the spot.

Despite looking to win the ball, the forward picked himself up two minutes from time to send Montgomery the wrong way and hand Telford a cruel end to a whirlwind season.