STRIKER Matt Swailes is just one goal away from an important milestone in a dream debut season in the Unibond Premier Division, writes ANDY NEILD.

When Chorley were struggling at the foot of the league back in October they seemed relegation certainties due to the startling lack of firepower in the side.

Manager Bryan Griffiths was crying out for a 20-goal-a-season man to salvage his season.

Swailes answered the SOS, after being plucked from the club's reserve side, and his goal against Marine on Tuesday night was his 19th of a magnificent campaign.

The 21-year-old hotshot is now the league's joint-second leading marksman and his goals have helped the Magpies banish all talk of relegation.

Not bad for a player who once gave up the game because he was told he lacked application.

"I was an apprentice at Bury for two years but got released in 1995 because manager Mike Walsh said I didn't have the right attitude," said Swailes.

"After that I became disillusioned for a while and gave up the game. It was only when some of my mates asked me to start playing again that I joined Little Hulton United in the Manchester Premier League."

While there he was spotted by Ken Wright - Griffiths' former assistant - and invited to train at Victory Park.

After a brief spell in the reserves in the opening weeks, Griffiths handed Swailes his chance and the striker rewarded the manager's faith with a goal as a substitute in only his second appearance.

Since then, he hasn't looked back but his success has surprised even himself.

"I am surprised I have managed to score this many goals this season because I have found it a big step up," he said.

"There are a lot of big, strong defenders in this league and I've had to take some knocks.

"When I first started playing I was struggling for fitness but now I feel I am much stronger."

Swailes, who is employed as a sheet-metal worker, had started to forge a prolific partnership with Paul Higginbotham before the latter went under the knife recently to solve a longstanding hernia problem. The pair notched 10 goals between them in a six-match winning spell before Christmas which has effectively ensured Premier Division survival.

"I like playing up front with Paul because he's got a good footballing brain and makes a lot of chances for me," said Swailes.

Higginbotham is unlikely to be back in time for the Magpies two-legged Unibond League Cup semi-final clash with Altrincham in a fortnight's time.

But Swailes is still confident of a place in the final, which would be a fitting end to a terrific debut season.

"We have already beaten Altrincham in the league this season so we have nothing to fear against them," he added.

Now enjoying his football again, Swailes is happy at Victory Park and believes the Magpies may be able to mount a title challenge if Griffiths can bring in three or four quality players.

His immediate sights are set on finsihing the season with 25 goals but he hasn't given up hope of a return to the Football League.

If he continues in his current form then perhaps Mike Walsh will be made to eat his words.

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