CHORLEY have allowed stalwart centre back Ian Leather to leave the club.

The Magpies skipper has struggled to get into the side since Mark Patterson took charge of the team and has decided to look for first team football elsewhere.

Leather, 26, has played more than 220 games for Chorley since joining in 1998 after being released by Bolton Wanderers and is still due a testimonial game at the end of this season.

Patterson said: "He's disappointed he's only played once or twice in the last two months. But I've told him he's not up to the standard of fitness level I require and he understands that.

"But he feels he should be in the team, particularly last week when Keith Hill was out and I played Jamie Bates there instead.

"He wasn't happy so we came to an agreement that he can go if he gets fixed up somewhere else.

"He's been a great servant for the club and I believe he can have a benefit at the end of the season because he's done five years, but I have to do what's best for Chorley Football Club. If a player isn't happy, he can go."

Chorley go to Workington in UniBond Division One tonight without Lee Bracey and Andy Mason, who have work commitments with the police and fire

service respectively.

Patterson has called on Bamber Bridge goalkeeper Graham Bennett as emergency cover for Bracey, but he has no injury problems for the trip to Cumbria.

The game will be the second of five consecutive away fixtures for the Magpies, a sequence which could extend to six when Saturday's postponed

game at Stocksbridge Park Steels is re-arranged.

Patterson said: "We drew at Bishop Auckland so I want to win three of the next four away games we have now.

"Things have been going well. We lost to Farsley but they are the biggest, strongest team we've come up against and I think they'll win the league.

"But I'm happy with the performance of the team and happy with their progress."