Plastic fantastic for the Magpies at Harrogate?

They are one of the only teams to have beaten Tamworth on their 3G pitch, and Chorley boss Matt Jansen says that result gives them confidence heading to Harrogate's artificial fortress.
Players celebrate with goal scorer Andy Teague after netting Chorley's second. Pic credit Josh VosperPlayers celebrate with goal scorer Andy Teague after netting Chorley's second. Pic credit Josh Vosper
Players celebrate with goal scorer Andy Teague after netting Chorley's second. Pic credit Josh Vosper

Chorley, Halifax and mid-table Nuneaton are the only sides to have picked up all three points in the league on Tamworth’s synthetic surface, after a 1-0 win back in September, while only five teams have taken all three points at 10th-placed Harrogate.

Jansen says it gives the hosts an advantage, but hopes to walk away from the 3G on Saturday with yet another three points as they enter the final nine games of the season fourth in the National League North table.

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He said: “Whatever you say, it is an advantage to the team that plays at home on the 3G, hence no Premier League teams play on it, and they are not allowed to.

“But we will go there, we went to Tamworth and were the first team to beat Tamworth and hopefully we will go to Harrogate and get a similar result.”

Chorley are level on 62 points with Salford City and Kidderminster going into the business end of the season, with a four-point gap from fifth place Halifax.

And though Kidderminster and Halifax have games in hand, Jansen believes a play-off spot will be secure if the Magpies can keep grinding out results like they did with a 2-1 home win over Telford last weekend, with all of their rivals also picking up the maximum points.

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He said: “Results didn’t go exactly in our favour, but they will run out of games. We have got nine games to go, we are still four points clear inside the play-offs, and hopefully if we keep grinding the results out, it will get closer and closer to the wire and we will be safe.”

Set-piece goals from Jack Sampson and Andy Teague clinched the points against Telford and Jansen says: “They are key. If we were full-time we could work on them more thoroughly – they are a massive part of the game.”