Words: James Ede, Image: David Airey
CHORLEY will be looking to pick up their third away win of the season when they travel to Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.
The Magpies have kept back-to-back clean sheets against Bedford Town and Spennymoor Town and could tighten the gap to the play-offs with a win at Aggborough.
Adam Murray’s side sit one place and two points above Chorley but are without a league win for almost four weeks.
Last Time Out
Andy Preece’s side followed up on last weekend’s win over Bedford with a 0-0 draw at home to Spennymoor on Tuesday, in which the Magpies were the more likely winners on a freezing cold night.
Harry Ibbitson for Jack Sampson up front was the only change from the win three days before and the hosts showed some of their best football in the first half.
Attacking moves from both flanks troubled the Moors and Tom Carr’s effort from a poor Dan Jones header came closest to finding a way past Bobby Jones in goal.
Max Wilson and Cam Salkeld also had chances at either end as the first half came to a close.
Tom Walker’s inviting cross almost found Ibbitson in a good position straight after the break but was narrowly too far away from the Bradford City loanee.
After good play from Warren Clarke, Mike Calveley’s bobbled effort was blocked on the line by Tyler Hill before Walker forced Jones into a good save with a curling shot seconds later.
New signing Jack Griffiths came off the bench to make his debut for the club but his introduction was not enough to turn the Magpies’ persistence into a goal as both sides shared a point each.
The result lifted Chorley up to 11th place in the Enterprise National League North with 26 points from 19 games, just three points off the top seven.
Opposition Focus
Kidderminster’s season started off well with just one defeat in their first nine outings, a narrow defeat at high-flying Fylde.
A defeat on the road at Peterborough Sports and a 5-1 home thrashing by Radcliffe in October followed and the Harriers have been winless in their past three games.
Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat at Marine leaves them just ahead of the Magpies heading into the weekend’s affair, setting it up to be a close game.
Their summer additions included strike duo Kurt Willoughby and Dan Mooney, defender Jordan Tunnicliffe and the trio of Pierce Bird, Kai Woollard-Innocent and Jack Clarke who followed boss Adam Murray from Eastbourne Borough.
They also signed King’s Lynn Town man Michael Gyasi on loan recently, who scored seven goals in his first six games of the season for the Linnets before finding himself out of the team.
44-year-old Murray took over in the summer after finishing one point short of the National League South title with Eastbourne last year.
His previous achievements include winning the North title with Fylde in 2023 and four promotions as a player with Mansfield Town and Carlisle United.
Head-to-Head
Chorley won both encounters between the teams last season, coming away with 2-1 victories home and away.
Goals from defensive duo Scott Wilson and Mark Ellis gave the Magpies all three points at home in September 2024, with the latter also scoring alongside Tom Carr on the road in February.
Match Details
Kidderminster Harriers vs Chorley
Enterprise National League North
Saturday, November 29
3pm kick-off
Aggborough Stadium, Kidderminster, DY10 1NB
