​Pressure off Magpies for play-off semi-final against Brackley Town

​The Magpies possibly felt the weight of pressure on Wednesday night after edging past Curzon Ashton in front of a packed Victory Park on penalties in the play-off eliminator.

Their reward is a semi-final clash against The Saints, who finished one place and two points above them in the final National League North table.

Brackley have been a tough nut for Chorley to crack in recent years. They have not registered a league win over them since 2019 – a run which stretches seven games.

The last time they played was a couple of months ago when Brackley secured a 1-0 home win.

Whoever wins today will have a home encounter against Boston United to look forward to in the final next weekend.

The Pilgrims defeated Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park on penalties after the tie ended 0-0 after extra time on Saturday.

"There was a bit of pressure on us on Wednesday night because people expected us to win,” said Preece. "The same will be for Brackley.

"We were not in the game at their place in the league and we were lucky to come away with just a 1-0 defeat.

"We will have to find a way of combating Brackley.”

Despite the difficulty of facing Brackley, Preece says his men should relish the position they are in.

"We are one of only three teams in with a chance of promotion and could be one of only two by the end of the game ,” he said.

"The high from winning on Wednesday is still there but ultimately it just means you have got through one round.

"There’s still a lot of work to be done but you have to enjoy that moment and we will use that today.”