Chorley player-manager Shaun Teale is at a loss to explain his team's dire home form after the Magpies slipped to their ninth home defeat of the season at Victory Park on Saturday.

Each of those defeats has been by a single goal, and three have been 1-0 reversals. Their latest defeat left them two places below the UniBond First Division play-off zone.

They could have been contending for an automatic promotion spot if they were able to repeat their away form at home. They have won ten matches on their travels, the best away form in the league. They looked like adding to that when they were 1-0 up at Mossley on Tuesday night before the match was abandoned on 62 minutes due to a frozen pitch.

Teale said: "I honestly don't know why we have been doing so badly at home, even though every defeat has been by the odd goal.

"This is something we're going to have to get sorted."

He added that he couldn't understand why the 11 men who ran rings around Woodley away from home only four days earlier couldn't turn it on against Eastwood, who were 16th in the table before Saturday's match.

There could be a clue in that conditions were different, with a strong blustery wind affecting play this time.

Also, Chorley were up against a top footballing side at Woodley on an artificial surface that lent itself to a passing game.

With only five home games left, including the big one against promotion-chasers Fleetwood Town on Good Friday, a 16-match home record of nine defeats and only three wins is a problem that needs dealing with swiftly.

Chorley have a double revenge mission in Staffordshire on Saturday when they visit Kidsgrove Athletic. The Magpies have lost twice already to them this season.

Chorley Reserves will be aiming to avenge the recent defeat by Lancaster City in the Lancit Lancashire League when the Dolly Blues come to Victory Park next Wednesday, March 8.