Unfancied Barwell, 17th in the table at kick-off, ended Chorley’s magnificent winning sequence as the Magpies, having negotiated the potentially unlucky 13th in midweek, stumbled at the 14th hurdle.

But there was no luck about the Leicestershire side’s success, deserved reward for a fully-committed display and a personal triumph for experienced debutant Tyrone Kirk, who scored the first goal and laid on the second.

The crucial cards were played in the opening quarter of the match, Barwell snapping up both goals aided by some unusually slack Chorley defending. Kirk stole in unmarked to head home a left-wing centre on 17 minutes and then five minutes later supplied a teasing cross from the right for Luke Barlone to power another header beyond Sam Ashton.

It was the first time Chorley had conceded two in a league match since the start of September.

Recovering from the double blow, the Magpies forced Barwell to defend in depth and Dale Whitham was twice close to scoring. First he saw a fierce 25-yards’ volley well-held by Neil Collett.

A brilliant 25-yard free-kick curled around the defensive wall by Adam Mather on 52 minutes lifted the home fans in a 700-strong crowd but the expected siege on the visitors’ goal never materialised against a very determined Barwell defence in which both centre-backs were outstanding. The nearest the home side came to an equaliser was when Darren Stephenson’s short-range header was grabbed on the line by Collett.