Chorley boss ​Preece is satisfied with point at Deva Stadium

On a sun-drenched Good Friday afternoon the Magpies, spurred on by the injustice of the previous Saturday’s controversial defeat to King’s Lynn, made the early running in a game that seriously lacked goalmouth action.

Billy Whitehouse’s fifth-minute effort, repelled smartly by Everton loanee goalkeeper Harry Tyrer, was the only real chance created across the entire 90 minutes.

Assured of a top-seven finish by the end of play, Chester failed to test Matty Urwin in the away goal, with skipper Declan Weeks wasting a long-range opening just before thebreak.

Urwin’s 20th clean sheet of the season for the Magpies came closest to being wiped out in injury time at the end of the second half, when substitute Anthony Dudley created a yard of space in the penaltybox.

Thankfully for the away side, Scott Wilson was alert to block the shot.

Just four points now separate Brackley Town in fourth and Chorley in ninth heading into today’s home clash against seventh-placed Sacraborough Athletic, as the battle for the top seven boils down to a four-game sprint.

Chorley manager Andy Preece was delighted with the point afterwards and labelled today’s home game as “pivotal game in our season.”

He added: “It’s a big point for us and I thought we performed very well, especially in the first half. We now head into a huge, huge game Monday against Scarborough.”

CHESTER: Tyrer, Weeks, Kenyon, Willoughby, Thomas (Dudley 60), Williams, Coates, Earl (Roberts 46), Heywood, Caton, Whitehouse. Subs not used: N’Mai, Murray, Edwards.

CHORLEY: Urwin, Henley, Wilson, Leather, Nolan (Tomlinson 73), Whitehouse (Shenton 73), Calveley, Sampson, Ustabaşı, Finney, Rus. Subs not used: Blakeman, Johnson, Scarborough.

Attendance: 3,487

Referee: J Mulligan