High-flying Magpies will bounce back against Boro

​The Magpies were beaten by a stoppage time winner as the Mariners claimed a 2-1 victory.

It was only Chorley’s second defeat in their past nine games and Preece admitted it was a huge disappointment to come away from the North East with nothing to show for their efforts.

However, the Magpies’ boss prefers to look at the bigger picture.

His men remain in third spot in the table – a whopping nine points clear of Curzon Ashton who are one place outside the play-offs in eighth.

The game against South Shields rounded-off a sequence of three long away trips which garnered six points out of nine.

And with a home game against Scarborough Athletic to come this weekend, Preece believes his men will not feel too downhearted for long.

The Magpies have been imperious at Victory Park recently, winning their previous six league games in front of their own fans.

Preece said: “It’s always tough when you concede in injury time. It’s a poor goal we gave away.

"But when you sit down, reflect and look at the league table – you just smile to yourself. It’s unbelievable the position that we are in. The last three games have all been away, more than 1,000 miles travelled and we have picked up six points out of nine.

"Look we were disappointment but you have got to hold your hands up to the lads.

"It was a really good performance against South Shields – forget the result.”

Scarborough still have an outside chance of getting in the top seven and Preece knows his men will have to be at their best.

"It’s another big,” he said. “They are all big games from now until the end of the season. Scarborough are still fighting to get in the play-offs and it’s a great game for our fans to come and watch.”

Elsewhere, Southport host Blyth Spartans and in the division above, AFC Fylde entertain Wealdstone.