Third spot in National League North is within reach for Chorley

The Magpies sit firmly in the play-offs in fifth spot with a six-point cushion and a game in hand over Boston United, who are eighth.

With the teams from second to seventh going through to the end-of-season lottery, Chorley are in a great position to achieve their goal at the start of the season of finishing inside the play-offs.

However, their final league placing could be pivotal to winning promotion.

The clubs who finish in second and third will go straight through to the semi-finals – and will benefit from home advantage.

The four teams below face a semi-final eliminator before a possible last-four match and then final.

With Gateshead and Brackley Town seemingly in a two-horse race to finish top and thus gain automatic promotion, it appears only third spot is available for the chasing pack.

Kidderminster are the team who currently hold that spot, level on points with fourth-placed AFC Fylde.

Chorley are six points further back but do have two games in hand on the Coasters and one over Kiddy.

Crucially following this weekend’s home game against Blyth Spartans, the Magpies takes on Russell Penn’s men at Aggborough on Tuesday.

"We are looking up 100%,” said Vermiglio. “We have got to play Kiddy and we have games in hand on a couple of the teams in and around us.

"You have to make those games count of course, but Fylde, Kiddy and ourselves are the ones who are battling for that third spot as it stands.

"So the next two or three games are important to give the lads some confidence to truly believe that they can push on over the run-in. Finishing third gives you that little bit of an advantage getting through to the latter stages of the play-offs.

"Our target at the start of the season was automatic promotion and less than that was the play-offs.

"We are pleased to be in this position with another 13 games left to play.

"I would say we have to win at least six of our remaining games to make sure of finishing in the top seven.

"The next four or five games are going to be telling.”

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