Town to face Chorley in Sunday's play-off semi-final showdown

Jordan Thewlis was on target the last time that Harrogate Town played Sunday's play-off semi-final opponents, Chorley. Picture: Town Pix

The Magpies, who finished the regular season in sixth place, overcame Stockport County by a 1-0 scoreline in Wednesday night’s eliminator at Edgeley Park.

“It’s going to be very tough, but I think we’ll see a great game between two good footballing sides,” Town boss Simon Weaver.

“There will be two contrasting styles on show and we know how effective a team Chorley are.

“I went to watch them beat Stockport on Wednesday and I was really impressed by them. They’ve got play-off experience in their side and a number of players who have a lot of Football League games under their belts.

“We may have beaten them home and away already this season, but we won’t get complacent because of those results as that would be a big mistake.

“We will go into the game full of confidence, however. We’re at home, where we’ve been excellent all season and scored plenty of goals, so we just want to see a continuation of that.

“It will to be a big occasion and the players need to embrace it.”

Town beat Chorley 4-1 at the CNG Stadium back in August, Simon Ainge and Jordan Thewlis both bagging braces that day before recording a 1-0 success on the road on January 6, with Thewlis again finding the net.

Sunday’s clash is an all-ticket affair and the club are expecting a sell-out crowd with more than 1,500 tickets already having been purchased.

The winners of the game will go on to play whoever emerges triumphant from Brackley Town versus Bradford Park Avenue in the play-off final, with a place in the National League for 2018/19 at stake.