Steve Foster’s 13th goal of the season brought Chorley an important victory which cuts the gap between the fourth-placed Magpies and the three joint league leaders to just three points.

It was a deserved win, achieved a little more readily than the scoreline might suggest. Chorley had threatened a goal on several occasions before Foster struck in the 37th minute but could not find the second that would have wrapped up victory against a Nantwich team which saw plenty of the ball but lacked creativity in the final third of the pitch.

The lively Chris Denham brought a smart diving save out of Nantwich keeper Jonny Brain early on and then from a lovely Denham cross Dale Whitham was unlucky to see his flicked header hit the far post. Soon afterwards, the visitors fashioned their best chance of the match when Michael Lennon’s left-wing centre was headed onto and over the Chorley bar by Ben Mills from close range.

After Foster had seen a fierce shot from a tight angle well held by Brain at the near post, he showed a goal-poacher’s anticipation to make the breakthrough. A free-kick from out on the right was headed back across the six-yards’ box by Wayne Maden and Foster raced in to fire home from four yards.

The second half was comparatively featureless with the Magpies content to sit on their lead and the visitors unable to open up an unyielding home defence.

Town’s Dave MacPherson blazed one half-chance high over and in the final minutes Sean Cooke drilled a shot from the edge of the box straight at the largely untroubled Russ Saunders in the Chorley goal. Earlier Foster was close to doubling Chorley’s lead following a delightful build-up but as he was about to convert Whitham’s low centre at short range a last-ditch tackle blocked his shot. Not a classic by any means but a vital win ecstatically greeted by home fans in another fine crowd of 766.