Chorley must focus on eight-game run-in says Preece after bitter blow

Preece's men were beaten 2-1 as the hosts came from behind.

Kole Hall had given Chorley the lead in the first half.

Keiran Morphew levelled with Market's first shot of the game, before a crazy ending saw Mark Ellis sent off, conceding a penalty in the process, which Luke Ingram scored to secure Needham's first win in six matches.

The Magpies are in the final play-off spot in seventh place after a second successive defeat – they were beaten last Tuesday by Curzon Ashton, just days after putting then-leaders Chester to the sword.

Preece told Chorley FC TV: “Eight games to go, probably winning the league’s out the window now and we have to concentrate on finishing as high as we can.

“The first half was really good, it’s a difficult pitch to play on but I thought we handled that really well.

“I thought we were really good first half – got the goal. There’s a lot of debate about whether we should have had a second one (through Tom Carr). No one seems to think who could have been offside. That might have been vital at the end.

“They never really threatened and we defended really well.

“Second half, we probably dropped our standards a little bit. They came into the game a lot more without really creating any chances, we hit the post and it’s a poor piece of defending by us for the first goal.

“From a throw-in they've managed to work their way in and the centre-half is the one who scores and gets a shot. I'd have to have a look at it back but it's really poor from us. Obviously that gives them a lift and they probably were in the ascendancy then, although we had a couple of decent counter-attacks.

“It looked like it was going to end up in a draw, and you’d probably take a draw here, in the conditions and everything.”

Preece refused to blame Ellis for the stoppage-time incident which cost the Magpies all three points.

“Someone who's been absolutely magnificent for us (Ellis), been an absolute leader, does something – well, I'm saying he does something, I don't know. I haven't seen it, I'm just taking it on on the ref's word and just Ello’s reaction.

“Whether it's an elbow, whether it's a headbutt or whatever it was, with a minute to go and (he) gives a penalty away and we end up losing the game.

“We’d have probably took the point and moved on and so that’s a disappointment for us because obviously he’s going to be out for three games, so that’s going to be a big miss.

“There’s losing the game but also losing Ello at this time – it's a tough one to take but things have been reasonably smooth for us so we’ll have to dig deep now.

“It just hurts so much and Ello will regret it – he’s been around long enough. He’s been magnificent for us but today he's let us down.

“Sometimes you get one of these and you’ve got to take it on the chin and come back from it.”