Duo’s availability could make or break Magpies' play-off dreams
Chorley boss Andy Preece insists any team in the National League North would miss centre forwards of the calibre of Jack Sampson and Kole Hall.
The Magpies manager – who watched his team slip further behind the play-off pace after last Saturday’s 2-1 reverse at home to Darlington – has been unable to call upon both strikers for the vast majority of this campaign.
In Hall’s case, the Bermuda international has yet to kick a ball in anger this season after being struck down by an unspecified illness in the summer. He is waiting for the all-clear to resume playing.
Sampson, meanwhile, has seen injury limit his participation to just 14 appearances over the past six months.
He missed a chunk of games at the start of the season, while a calf problem has kept him on the sidelines for the past six games. With both of his talismen unavailable, Preece has been forced to rely heavily on Tom Carr, while he has dipped into the loan market to acquire young strikers Harry Ibbitson and Ang Popoola.
Preece – who saw his side’s midweek game at Alfreton postponed – accepts the Magpies’ play-off hopes could hinge on how much Hall and Sampson feature in the final three months of the campaign.
“We are, at the minute, just a little bit stretched in those key areas up front,” said Preece, whose side travel to Peterborough Sports this weekend.
“If we could get Sampo and Kole fit then we’ve got five strikers there who can cause massive problems for teams in the last few months of the season.
“Hopefully, at some point, we get into that position where we have all five and then we will be as strong as any team in the division. I think that is key for us – it will probably make or break us.”