AFTER a crushing 2-0 defeat at Gateshead in mid-week, York City will once again face play-off-battling opposition in Chorley.

This weekend’s visitors to the LNER Community Stadium sit one place above Gateshead, who comprehensively outplayed York on Tuesday, having picked up the same number of points from three more matches.

Chorley are third in the Vanarama National League North, having lost just three times from 16 league games this season.

Along with current division leaders AFC Fylde, Chorley were relegated from the National League on points-per-game during the curtailed 2019/20 season.

Despite their previous top-flight non-league status, the Lancashire club were priced as widely as 16/1 to win the National League North title and have somewhat surpassed expectations in their current position.

Having fallen well short at Gateshead, this is another stern test of how realistic York’s promotion hopes are against very tough opposition, particularly given that only one of City’s seven wins this campaign have come against current top-half opposition.

Chorley have suffered just one defeat from their last 14 league matches.

Only Fylde and Kidderminster Harriers have scored more league goals in the division than Chorley while Brackley Town, who have played one less match, are the sole club to have let in less goals.

City should though take confidence from Chorley’s form on the road this season.

The Magpies have played seven times away from home in the league, leaving victorious just twice.

One of those victories came at second-from-bottom Blyth Spartans, who are the only side to have scored less away goals than Chorley this term.

With a record crowd expected at the LNER Community Stadium, how Chorley deal with a potentially hostile atmosphere will be telling.