Words: James Ede, Image: David Airey
CHORLEY make their second away trip in a row with the two-hour journey to Worksop Town.
The Tigers got the better of the Magpies in the sides’ FA Trophy encounter three weeks ago but sit five points and six places below them in the Enterprise National League North.
After defeat at Kidderminster Harriers last week, Andy Preece’s side will be hoping to return to winning ways.
Last Time Out
After four points in their previous two games and back-to-back clean sheets, the Magpies travelled to Worcestershire hopeful of a good showing and put in a spirited display but the hosts came out as 3-1 victors.
Chorley looked the better team for the majority of the game and, despite an own goal bringing them level shortly after the break, Harriers came back with two late goals to take all three points.
The opener came the way of the home side, largely against the run of play, when Michael Gyasi finished in the 17th minute.
The visitors battled well and had an equaliser ruled out not long after, with Jack Sampson being deemed to be in an offside position after tapping home from Tom Carr’s saved header.
They were struck a further blow when Sampson was forced off with injury just before half time.
But they made an excellent start to the second half with Tom Walker’s in-swinging cross flicking an opposition head and finding the far corner of Christian Dibble’s goal.
The game continued with the Magpies well-placed for at least a point but Kidderminster re-took the lead with 12 minutes to go, Kurt Willoughby scrambling home from a corner.
With the game approaching its end, fellow substitute Luke Spokes netted a third in the 85th minute to seal victory for Adam Murray’s side.
The result leaves the Magpies in 12th, four points off the play-offs.
Opposition Focus
Worksop head into Saturday’s fixture in 18th place, just three points above the relegation zone.
The Tigers won promotion to Step 2 from the Northern Premier League Premier Division last season, triumphing in the play-off final over Guiseley.
Last week’s 2-1 win at Leamington ended a run of four successive league defeats, with Vaughan Redford and Hamza Bencherif scoring either side of half time.
Experienced forward Liam Hughes currently leads their line with seven goals this season with Aaron Martin just one behind him.
Their squad also contains dangerous winger Mo Fadera, on loan from York City, former EFL defender Luke Waterfall, Latvian midfielder Aleksandrs Starcenko and Mansfield Town loanee Chae Whitman-Brown, who scored the winner off the bench when the sides met last month.
Manager Craig Parry took over in May 2020, when the club were in Step 4, having previously been at Pontefract Collieries, who he also played for alongside Barnsley, Halifax Town, Bradford Park Avenue, Goole and Garforth Town.
Head-to-Head
Worksop’s 3-2 FA Trophy win at Victory Park last month, which saw Milan Lalkovic net a brace, including one stunning long-range goal, was the first time the teams had faced off in over a decade, stretching back to March 2014.
That game ended in a 1-0 win for the Magpies at Victory Park thanks to a goal from Keil O’Brien.
Match Details
Worksop Town v Chorley
Enterprise National League North
Saturday, November 15
3pm kick-off
The Windsor Foodservice Stadium, Worksop, S80 1UJ
