Build-up: Chorley FC vs Whitby Town

Next up it’s the Evo Stik Northern Premier Division again, this time I'm watching high flying Chorley FC face struggling Whitby Town at Victory Park.

Chorley are in 4^th place in the table - in the 3^rd of 4 play off positions as it stands – with 40 points from 21 games. Garry Flitcroft, former player at Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City, is their manager, and he guided them to promotion from Division One North last season via the play offs after a 3^rd place finish.

Following that promotion they began this season with 4 wins to put themselves top of the table, but inconsistent results of late has seen them drop a couple of places and perhaps question if they'll be able to stay in a play off position. But a midweek 3-1 win away at table toppers Northwich Victoria will boost confidence in their chances of doing this, and maybe even mounting a serious push for the top of the table automatic promotion place.

Whitby Town are 22^nd - bottom of the table - with just 10 points from 19 games, having had just one league win so far this season. They finished 16^th in the same league last season. Former Newcastle United player Tommy Cassidy was their manager until leaving a month ago due to poor results.

New manager Darren Williams, a former Sunderland player, has been unable to improve results so far, with a midweek 3-3 draw at home to Stocksbridge Park Steels a rare point after a 7 match losing streak. However there is new hope for Whitby, with a batch of new signings made in the past week to try to improve their situation, including re-signing fans favourite and previous top scorer Jimmy Beadle, who marked his reintroduction at the Stocksbridge match with a 40 yard wonder goal.

A rundown of league results so far this season:

Chorley: WWWWDLWDWWWLWLWDWLDLW

Whitby Town: DLDLDDLWLDDLLLLLLLD

These two have faced each other in the league already this season as Chorley won 1-0 away to Whitby Town on the 3^rd September, Steve Foster getting the only goal. Foster is Chorley’s top scorer with 10 league goals, which is the combined total of Whitby’s top scorers Matty Tymon and Mark Robinson - both on 5 league goals.