Chorley's National League North destiny is in their own hands​​​​​​​ ahead of final game of season against Gloucester City

​The Magpies travel to Gloucester City for their final game of the season knowing that a victory will be enough to secure a top-seven spot.

They currently reside in eighth position – one point behind seventh-placed Buxton and Scarborough Athletic, who are sixth.

Fourth-placed Brackley Town and fifth-placed Alfreton Town, who lost 3-0 to relegation-threatened Bradford Park Avenue in midweek, are two points clear of Andy Preece’s men but intriguingly they play each other tomorrow.

With the Magpies boasting a much better goal difference than all of their play-off rivals, they certainly hold the advantage but only as long as they collect three points this weekend.

And a win at the Tigers certainly won’t be easy, especially as the hosts starts the match just a point behind their visitors and have their own ambitions of securing a top-seven spot.

As it is, a number of teams right down to Darlington in 13th spot go into this weekend’s final match of the season with a chance to finish inside the play-offs, if other results go their way.

But for Preece and his men, the equation is simple – win and they will be in the play-offs no matter what.

“With the way the games went in midweek, I don’t think they could have gone any better for us,” said Preece.

"It is now in our hands. I have been saying for the past couple of weeks that if we win our last three games, then it will probably be enough to get in the play-offs. We beat Leamington, we beat Peterborough and now we know if we win this one game then we will be in the play-offs. It is a great position to be in. There’s no uncertainty, it’s now down to us.”

Gloucester will certainly be formidable opponents, especially as they have not tasted defeat on their artificial pitch at Meadow Park this year.

"It is not going to be easy on Gloucester’s 3G pitch,” Preece added. “They have not lost at home since the new year and before that.

"They have also got a chance of the play-offs as well but I think after the Scarborough defeat a few weeks ago, a lot of people had given up on us so to bounce back like we have done shows great character and I am proud of what the players have done to get in this position.”