CHORLEY'S play-offs hopes were surely extinguished as they slipped to a twelfth league defeat of the season against title-chasing Hednesford.

The combative Midlanders completed a double over Garry Flitcroft’s side, who lacked conviction up front and conceded two poor goals.

By the time Andy Russell popped up with a late header to put Chorley on the scoresheet, the points were safely in the Hednesford bag.

Only a real howler by keeper Jack Cudworth separated the teams in a tight first half.

After Chorley had twice gone close though Andy Teague and Tom Ince in a promising start, Cudworth, who had previously pulled off a very smart save from Aaron Rey, made a routine catch from a cross in the 26th minute but elected to roll the ball out before clearing. Calamitously, however, he failed to check the proximity of alert striker Neil Harvey who nipped in to steal possession and tap into an empty net. Rey doubled Town’s lead on the hour mark and the home side made sure of the points when Neil Harvey scored a third in the 67th minute. Two minutes from time, Mark Ross’s throw was flicked on by Adam Roscoe for Russell to head what was merely a consolation goal.