PLAYING with great desire, Chorley brushed aside their strangely subdued Humberside visitors to record a deserved double and keep their hopes of a place in the UniBond First Division play-offs alive.

For North Ferriby it was a second damaging defeat in four days and their automatic promotion prospects look to have been ended by this reverse.

If Dean Butterworth, due to join Queens Park Rangers for trials this week, had accepted any of four clear chances one-on-one with keeper Paul Sharp, who pulled off three very brave saves, and had not three 'goals' been disallowed, the Magpies' winning margin would have been the best of the season.

Butterworth burst through in the opening minutes, but Sharp parried his fierce shot for a corner before North Ferriby's fearsome strike-pair Gavin Knight and the talented Vill Powell both failed to put away chances.

But soon it was Chorley creating all the openings. Butterworth rounded Sharp but fired over from an awkward angle and the keeper beat out another stinging angled drive from the same player.

As half-time approached, Lee Wilkinson was twice close with opportunist efforts before being pulled up for pushing as Ian Bold found the net from close range.

Chorley kept up the tempo after the interval.

Sharp again foiled Butterworth at the near post, then Wilkinson was unlucky to be adjudged offside as he applied the finishing touch to a Darren Emmett free-kick. But Wilkinson was not to be denied and put Chorley ahead on 68 minutes.

Ian Barker's quickly-taken free-kick released Emmett and his early cross was neatly headed home by the marauding Wilkinson.

As the Magpies sought to add to their lead, Sharp raced out to block Butterworth yet again but he was beaten on 79 minutes when a crafty short corner routine allowed Wilkinson to steal in and cross low for Barker to score from close range.

Substitute Andy Mason broke clear to hammer a shot inside Sharp's near post only to find a late offside flag raised and then Stuart Tulloch was denied by a defender's goal line clearance.

In stoppage time North Ferriby snatched a consolation goal when Powell's well-flighted cross was headed home in-off the near post by Knight.

With results elsewhere going Chorley's way, the Magpies are now sixth with every chance of making the play-offs if they can win their final three matches.

CHORLEY...2 NORTH FERRIBY UNITED...1