CHORLEY hitman David Eatock goes head-to-head with Stanley hot-shot Gary Williams in the FA Umbro Trophy at Victory Park tomorrow.

The young strikers have experienced similar ups and downs over the years as they have tried to ascend the football pyramid.

Both have signed professional forms with bigger clubs only to return to their former stomping grounds.

Eatock burst on to the non-league scene with the Magpies five years ago when he was just 18.

Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan splashed out £25,000 on the striker in 1995 and he was a great success in United's reserves.

But Keegan's madcap plan to scrap the Newcastle second string brought Eatock's St James's Park career to a premature end.

He had trials with Rochdale, Chesterfield and Brentford but failed to win a contract and moved back to non-League.

After spells with Leigh RMI and Northwich Eatock, he returned to Chorley in the summer and has scored four goals this season, looking every bit the player he was before he left. Williams' career has taken a similar path, although on a much quicker scale.

The 20-year-old was sold to Doncaster Rovers for £60,000 in January after scoring 24 goals for Stanley last season.

But he failed to command a regular first team place and returned to the Crown Ground for less than half of what Rovers paid for him little more than six months before. He has bagged four goals so far this season and has showed the form that has earned him a place in the Unibond League representative squad to play an FA XI at Lancaster City on November 20.

Stanley boss John Coleman said: "I am made up for him. He is a great striker with pace and two good feet. He will always score you goals. But I think Paul Mullin is unlucky not to get in as he has been in outstanding form."

Stanley's two main concerns for the game are Jay Flannery who has tonsillitis and Mark Ceraolo who has a foot injury.

Chorley boss Ken Wright says Eatock has settled in well since returning to the club.

"He has done alright," he said. "He's scored a few goals and has benefited from playing games.

"I didn't play him at Congleton in midweek because it was thick with mud and he's only a small lad. Let's say the conditions weren't exactly conducive to his subtle skills."

Chorley will be without suspended duo Damien Corcoran and Steve Hook and Michael Wallace is only 50/50 after taking a knock to his ankle against Gretna which forced him out of the midweek game against Congleton.