CHORLEY'S FA Trophy adventure is over but manager Dave Sutton's pre-match pledge to go down with all guns blazing saw the Magpies fire a pulsating second half salvo which the GM Vauxhall Conference champions were relieved to survive.

And as Macclesfield head for Wembley, the man they should thank most of all is defender Cec Edey, who popped up to make a quite incredible goal line clearance when Chorley were poised to celebrate a 2-0 lead and an equaliser on aggregate with 15 minutes to play.

It was the decisive moment in a throbbing cup tie which swung increasingly the way of Chorley, roared on by home fans in a marvellous crowd of 3,048 - the biggest at Victory Park since the Trophy quarter-final in 1977.

In fact club treasurer Brian Haslam was still counting the gate money when Macclesfield stole the very late equaliser which robbed the Magpies of the satisfaction of a win on the day, the least that their brave fightback deserved.

But in the end the six minutes of mayhem in the Chorley defence at the end of last week's first leg which enabled the Silkmen to bring a 3-1 lead to Victory Park proved crucial. In an edgy opening phase, Macclesfield were the quicker to settle down and Tony Hemmings was badly off target from a clear opening after only five minutes. When Chorley countered Brian Ross slid a shot just the wrong side of the post.

The visitors continued to look the more dangerous and Phil Power cleverly laid the ball back for Neil Sorvell but he angled his shot wide of the far post.

When the Magpies came more into the picture, Adam Critchley fired wildly over from three yards but moments later in the 36th minute Chorley went ahead.

Following neat interplay down the right, Kenny Mayers lofted a pass forward into the box for Ross to run on to and he neatly steered the ball just inside the left hand post for his 30th goal of the season.

The goal clearly lifted the Magpies and Mayers was only just denied in the act of shooting from short range.

But it was after the interval when Chorley really set the Silkmen's supporters' hearts fluttering.

Macclesfield were forced to hang on as Chorley poured forward in search of the second goal which would level the aggregate.

Visiting keeper Ryan Price pulled off a tremendous save to punch aside a full blooded 25 yard shot from Grant Leitch and then came Edey's priceless rescue act.

The keeper had rushed out to punch clear from the head of Mayers and Chorley skipper Dean Emerson promptly measured the perfect lob from outside the penalty area.

It looked a certain goal but Edey, frantically back pedalling, launched himself high to head the ball for a corner from right under the bar before crashing headlong into the back of the net.

It was a piece of supreme athleticism bordering on the physically impossible, and the crowd rightly rose to him.

Chorley could have been forgiven for thinking there and then that the cause was lost. But they stuck to their task and took an even tighter hold on the game.

Macclesfield fans endured agonies as first Emerson lost control with the goal beckoning him and then Mayers had a brilliant overhead effort saved at the near post.

Then with two minutes to go Power, the Silkmen's star man of the afternoon, created space on the break and sent Sorvel in for a simple goal to put Macclesfield level on the day and 4-2 up on aggregate.

The visiting fans' relief was tangible. Still Chorley piled forward. A Ross snapshot was saved, Steve Hook volleyed over the bar.

But Macclesfield's Wembley passes were now effectively in the post and the Magpies' only consolation was a rousing reception at the end for the boldest of bids to pull back a deficit which was always likely to be a goal too many against a side of Macclesfield's undoubted class.

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