Match Date : September 6th, 2025 3:00 pm
Competition : National League North
Ground : Victory Park
Kick Off : 15:00

After back-to-back home wins, Kevin Wilkin will take his men to Lancashire this weekend to take on promotion hopefuls Chorley.

The Magpies have been a fixture at the top end of the National League North for much of the last decade. Playoff winners in 2018/19, Chorley made an immediate return to Step 2 after finishing rock bottom of the National League Premier in the Covid-affected 2019/20 campaign. The Magpies have finished in the playoff places in three of the four seasons since then, placing 5th last term before losing 4-2 to Scunthorpe United in the playoff semi final.

The man at the helm of the Lancashire club is vastly experienced manager Andy Preece. Having managed a number of different sides during his career, Preece then spent four years as the Magpies’ assistant manager and Director of Football before taking on the manager’s job in May 2022. And under Preece, Chorley have been particularly good on home soil. The Magpies have picked up 51 points at Victory Park in each of the last two seasons, with only Scarborough and Curzon Ashton winning at Chorley during the 2024/25 campaign. In fact, Preece’s side haven’t lost a competitive match at Victory Park since 30 November last year.

Chorley’s squad remains largely the same as that of last season. Of the limited arrivals, midfielders Tom Walker (Radcliffe) and Luke Summerfield (Kidderminster) add more experience to Preece’s options.

Preece’s side had made an excellent start to the season, picking up 13 points from the first five. Consecutive defeats on the road at Leamington and Curzon Ashton has tempered their trajectory though, but the Magpies still sit 5th in the table. What’s more, Chorley remain joint top of the socring charts despite failing to find the net in either of their last two outings. The Magpies tend to share the goals. Main man Jack Sampson has five goals so far, but he is one of eight different players to have found the net so far this season for Chorley. Meanwhile, Preece’s squad also includes two former Bucks in keeper Matt Urwin and striker Kole Hall.

The sides last faced each other in the 2022/23 season, each team won their respective home games 1-0. The Bucks tend to struggle at Victory Park though, picking up only a single point from the last six visits to Lancashire.

But the Bucks will be looking to build on the momentum gained from their last three outings. After a stirring comeback at Darlington, Wilkin’s men have gone on to record back-to-back victories while playing some wonderful front foot football. The Bucks will look to continue that good run this Saturday, as Wilkin’s men aim to chalk up a first away win of the campaign.

MATCHDAY INFORMATION

You can purchase tickets online via the Chorley website.

Website: www.chorleyfc.com

Ground Address: Victory Park, Duke Street, Chorley, PR7 3DU