A LAST-gasp winner from brace ace Adam Farrell led to smiles and celebrations for Chorley but sent luckless Rossendale United plunging towards the Vodkat League.

Farrell struck twice to seal an end-to-end derby and leave deflated United boss Phil Eastwood struggling for words as his men continued in their 2009 freefall.

It was tough on the Stags. If points were awarded for spirit, endeavour and effort, they would be at the top end of the table.

But as it is, they are being reeled in by Salford City, whose big spending is paying off as they are now just seven points behind Eastwood’s men.

“I don’t know what to say,” admitted Eastwood. “Yet again we have lost a game that we deserved something from but that is the way things go when you are struggling.”

The big turning point in the match came seconds before the interval as United led 2-1.

Danny Ellis scampered down the right and crossed for player-boss Eastwood, whose close-range volley was perfect and worthy of a goal. But Peter Collinge, somehow, got down and kept the effort out.

“When the final whistle went I told my keeper that he had won us the game,” grinned Chorley boss Tony Hesketh.

“If it had gone to 3-1 it may have been a different game but we were the better side in the second-half and their keeper had a few good saves to make.”

The Stags had taken the lead after 13 uneventful minutes as Zach Clarke poked home an Ellis cross with the Chorley defence doing their best impression of the Elgin Marbles.

But 10 minutes later Chris Ward levelled from a matter of inches after the Rossendale defence had been opened up by the game’s outstanding player Michael West.

The Stags came back and Ellis converted from the spot after James Mullineux was penalised for handball on his 150th appearance against the very side who he made his debut against four years ago to the day.

Eastwood was then denied by Collinge’s wonder stop and Hesketh responded at the break with a double substitution and a change in formation to 4-3-3.

It worked. Farrell’s tremendous volley forced Ben Procter into a flying save before he beat the keeper on 61 minutes with another fine volley after good work from West and Ward.

The moaning Ward, booked in the first-half for a crazy show of dissent, was lucky not to be sent off for a laughable dive in the penalty area but it was Chorley on top in the latter stages and when a long ball out of defence was chased down by Steve Burke there was real danger.

He centred for Farrell and his volley was unstoppable.

It put Chorley in sight of the top-half finish Hesketh craves but left United out for the count.

Their game at Salford next week is suddenly huge.