Magpies had a go against league leaders South Shields, but ultimately came up short
South Shields are the benchmark for everybody else in the National League North.
That’s the view of Chorley boss Andy Preece after watching his team lose to the Mariners for the second time in a week.
The Magpies were beaten 2-0 at the 1st Cloud Arena in the National League North on Saturday – seven days after they exited the FA Cup at the hands of the same opposition by a 4-1 scoreline.
The Mariners sit top of the table – three points clear of second-placed Scarborough Athletic – after winning eight out of 10 games in an unbeaten start to the season.
Preece’s men slipped from third to fifth after Saturday’s loss, although the manager was pleased with the way his side performed.
They ran the leaders much closer and it needed an 85th minute penalty to eventually break the visitors’ resistance.
"Credit to South Shields,” Preece told ChorleyFC TV. “They are a good side and are the benchmark in this league.no doubt from the teams that we have played.
"We have played a few of the fancied teams, they are just a level above at this minute in time.
"We tried everything we could, we have been as positive as we could be, we tried to press them, tried to force mistakes. That happened on a few occasions and we stayed in the game despite some of the quality that they showed, especially on the counter attack.
"We kept ourselves right in the game, but we were always kind of hanging on.
"They have tested us and had an answer to everything we have tried, but we were still in there.
"Craig (Hewitt) had a free-kick that was saved and we’ve had a couple of opportunities on the edge of the box, a couple of long-range efforts which went just wide of the post
"So we’ve had a go, better than last week, but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say they were very good.”
For the first time in three weeks, the Magpies will be back in front of their own supporters this weekend.
They host Oxford City knowing that they boast the second-best home record in the division after winning four and drawing one of their first five at Victory Park.