Stat's Life, Or Is It? Magpies Are Ready For Season Lift Off

The National League North Promotion Final winners are yet to really get to grips with their new surroundings.

Seven games played, no wins, bottom of the table and some 17 goals conceded.

They’ve let in five against Notts County, four at Maidenhead and six at home to Solihull Moors.

But ahead of their live BT Sport match with Boreham Wood on Saturday, does that actually tell us the full story?

“I don’t think it does,” says long-serving defender Andy Teague, 33.

“Of course it’s not the start we wanted to make. Nobody likes being winless after seven matches, especially after such a good season last year.

“But we’ve not played as badly as some of the results have suggested.

“People see those three games where we let in six, five and four, but what maybe they haven’t seen is three really good clean sheets as well.

“Also take Notts County on Monday for example. We played so well in the first half. Then after the break they hit a few worldies and, being a club as big as they are playing in front on so many thousand, they have the players to go and get some more as we’re chasing.

“So yes we have conceded 17 goals but we’ve also kept three clean sheets. It’s a strange stat and we need to be more consistent but there are positives to take as well.”

It is only only three defeats in those seven games for the Magpies.

Boreham Wood, the weekend visitors, have already lost more. Victory Park really needs to live up to its name as the cameras come to town.

Teague added: “We’re doing a lot of things right and we’re just waiting for things to fall our way a little bit.

“We will get better, and I think as soon as that first win does arrive we will be up and running and we’ll have enough to stay in this division.

“Once we get that first three points on the board, we’ll be fine - it’s just getting them, and the sooner we do, the better for everyone.

“A home game really gives us the chance to do that. We have built the club on results here over the years and we need to make full use of it.

“We’re doing a lot of things right. It’s an honour for us to be playing at this level but we’re not in the National League just to make up the numbers.”

Teague, with nearly 400 Chorley appearances to his name, has been at the club for getting on for a decade. He isn’t likely to accept a struggle lightly.

“I’ve seen the club grow year after year - I’m not interested in only being in the division for one season,” he added.

“The aim is to stay up and in the years ahead build and maybe see if we can be involved at the right end in the future. That’s the ambition.

“But we know how important it is to stay up and be here next year to try and push on. It’s about doing it for 90 minutes and hoping things will turn. I’m sure they’re going to, and I think when we get the first win we’ll take some big steps forward.”

He adds: “Nothing is ever decided in August, and we’re still in August - there’s been a lot of games early on but it’s still the first month of the season, that’s a fact.

“We’ve only taken the lead twice so maybe we need to work more on getting that first goal. It’s been a case of ‘oh here we go again’ once the other side go in front, so we’ve got to not let that happen.

“We’ve got to take our chances and give ourselves a bit of a platform. There’s a lot more to come from us.”

Pictures by Stefan Willoughby & Josh Vosper