Magpies are shaping-up nicely for promotion tilt
There are signs that this season’s National League North is just starting to take shape after eight games played.
That’s the view of Chorley boss Andy Preece who can’t help but notice that the heavily resourced South Shields and AFC Fylde ominously sit in the top two positions in the table.
The Mariners and the Coasters – who are both full-time and benefit from wealthy ownership – occupy first and second place respectively, but the part-time Magpies are not too far away in fourth.
And Preece insists that he would be reluctant to rule anybody out of the promotion equation at this time, especially this weekend’s visitors to Victory Park Macclesfield.
With regular four-figure home attendances, the Silkmen – who are a phoenix club of the former Football League outfit Macclesfield Town – are rising once again through the football pyramid. They have started steadily in their first season at this level. They sit in 10th spot but could move into the play-off positions with victory over the Magpies.
“Pretty much the ones I expected are already up there,” said Preece. "But I think you can go right the way down the league, I wouldn’t rule anybody in or out of anything at this stage.
"Some teams like Macclesfield are still finding their feet a little bit, but they have started pretty well.
"I think after 10 games, you look at the league and if you’re up there then you’re in a good position.
"It is a little ominous to see Fylde and South Shields where they are just on the basis that they had changes in the summer and you did wonder how they would start.
"They have the finances and now they have started well, you would expect them to only get better but there’s no reason why we can’t hang in there with these clubs.”