Bank on Chorley

Chorley travel to Stocksbridge Park Steels on Friday night after the clubs were given the honour of kicking off the new Evo-Stik NPL season. To mark the big kick off, Courier sportswriter and fan Steve Bott runs the rule over Chorley's chances of becoming Evo-Stik NPL Premier champions after coming so close last time around...

'Two wins, two draws and three narrow defeats against top quality opposition puts Chorley FC, in my book, in a great position to go one better and achieve that longed-for promotion into the Blue Square North this season.

There was much anguish and heartache around Victory Park after last season's play-off semi-final defeat by FC United - and it was no consolation that FC lost out in the final to Bradford Park Avenue.

Magpies manager Gary Flitcroft has already gone on record and targeted the champion's crown as his aim this season and after beating Blackpool and trouncing Eagley along with solid draws against Preston and AFC Blackpool there is no reason to doubt Flitcroft's optimism.

The three defeats came against Bolton, a strong Blackburn Rovers side and Droylsden, who are in the league Chorley are aiming for. All were by just one goal so Chorley can hold their heads high.

Flitcroft looks to have spent what money he has at his disposal wisely bringing in goalkeeper Andy Robertson, who has done nothing wrong in the three games I have seen him play in, and defender Simon Garner, who has got on quietly with his job, principally at left back, but on occasions covering at the heart of the defence and moving, on the odd occasion when the pattern of play dictated it, into midfield.

Steve Foster's partnership with Ciaran Kilheeney has grown by the game, certainly in the last two or three friendly outings and they get great support from Chris Denham and the superb wing raider Tom Ince.

Skipper Andy Teague looks as strong as ever at the back and his personality and character shines through in everything he does from one-on-one boxing stints in training to full-blooded tackles in the heat of battle.

A big boost for the Magpies was that opening match attendance against Preston, a very impressive 1,332, which will give them a nice financial start to the campaign allied to a very successful Thirsty Magpie beer festival weekend around the same time.

The first game for real this Friday away at Stocksbridge will present a tough challenge played as it is on the hill overlooking the old steel mills that made the nearby city of Sheffield so famous. While things may not quite get white hot on the pitch it will certainly be a closely-contested affair and I am sure Flitcroft and his men will be happy to come away with a point as they look forward to two successive home games after that against Witton on the Wednesday and Grantham three days later.'