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A sixth division team will be in the fourth round of the FA Cup after Chorley knocked out a youngster-filled Derby squad due to a coronavirus outbreak.
Chorley’s part-time players beat Derby 2-0 on Saturday to extend the North West England club’s deepest progression in the competition as one of 32 remaining teams.
No fan was able to witness this historic moment for the 138-year-old club at tiny Victory Park due to coronavirus restrictions, but the players let them into the dressing room celebrations.
Just like in previous rounds, the players went to film a rendition of them singing “Someone Like You” by Adele that was quickly posted on social media.
“It’s a monumental day for us at club football,” said Chorley manager Jamie Vermiglio, “and I feel privileged to be a part of it.”
The cup run earns the non-league club more than 200,000 pounds ($ 270,000) in television and cash prizes. The goals came from Connor Hall in the 10th minute and Mike Calveley in the 84th.
“Any Premier League side is really far away,” Hall said of who Chorley hopes to face next. “These are three championship teams that we beat. It’s a great race on our part and we’re so happy to be in the hat.
Derby was without its first-team players and interim coach Wayne Rooney due to COVID-19 cases, forcing the second-division club to play a team with an average age of 19 with no first-team experience .
It wasn’t just the pandemic that threatened the game. Sub-zero temperatures in Chorley over the past week had forced the team to rent blankets to try and keep their surface from freezing. Their gardener even camped out on the ground in a tent to try and keep the grounds heated overnight.
“We can all take advantage and savor this moment,” said Vermiglio, a principal in his day job who has had to deal with the closure of his school after England were placed in a new lockdown this week.
Also on Saturday, Everton only managed to knock Rotherham out of the Second Division in overtime, with Abdoulaye Doucouré sealing a 2-1 victory. US defender Matt Olosunde canceled Cenk Tonsun’s opener for Carlo Ancelotti’s Premier League side.
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