TWO second half strikes from former Blackpool front man Neil Mitchell clinched Chorley's first league double of the season.

But the Magpies second home win of the season was as much about Celtic keeper Paul Allen as man of the match Mitchell.

A couple of gaffes by Allen earlier in the season gifted Chorley a 2-1 win at Celtic's Throstle's Nest. And two more mistakes yesterday handed the Magpies a late Christmas present. The game was only 13 minutes old when Ian Barker met Mitchell's corner with a thumping volley which was straight at Allen but somehow the ball squirmed out of his grasp and into the bottom corner. Mitchell then went close on two further occasions and Barker missed an absolute sitter from eight yards out as the Magpies piled on the pressure.

But it needed a couple of saves from keeper Simon Marsh just before the break to protect their first half advantage. In the second half the home side survived a scare when Steve Learoyd's header was hacked off the line. But another error from Allen presented the Magpies with a second when Barker's cross slipped out of his grasp and Mitchell fired home the loose ball.

Celtic spurned a host of chances to get back into it, the closest they came being an Andy Blair effort which was headed off the line and a Martin Reagan snapshot which struck the crossbar.

But Mitchell wrapped up the three points with 14 minutes left, when he latched on to Paul Allen's clever through ball before smashing a volley past Celtic's Allen.

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