CHORLEY will have to beat Conference Premier side Halifax Town if they are to reach the main draw of the FA Cup for the first time in 24 years.

The Magpies moved to within one win of the first round proper with a comprehensive 4-1 win at local rivals Bamber Bridge on Saturday.

And their pleas for a home tie in the fourth qualifying round were granted when the draw was made live on national radio yesterday morning.

The Shaymen, who currently sit fifth in the Conference Premier table, will be the visitors to Victory Park on Saturday, October 25.

“We would have settled for a home tie, which we have got,” said Magpies chairman Ken Wright.

“I suppose if we were being hypercritical we would have liked somebody with a little bit less prestige.

“Halifax are doing well in the Conference Premier and it will be tough, but we can’t complain really. It is a winnable game and we will be fighting tooth and nail to get through.”

A crowd of 2,214 was at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium on Saturday to see Chorley reach the fourth qualifying round, and Wright hopes that a similar crowd will be at Victory Park a week on Saturday, as the Magpies bid to reach the first round proper for the 10th time in their history.

“Hopefully it will be a great day for the town of Chorley and we will get a big gate,” said Wright.

“It was a fantastic turnout on Saturday and it was a great, and hopefully we will see something like that for the Halifax game.”

Wright was Magpies manager in 1986 when they registered their most famous victory, an FA Cup first round win over Wolves in a second replay. Since then though they have struggled in the cup, and their last outing in the fourth qualifying round came in 1993/94, when they were beaten 2-0 by Marine.

“It is a long time since we had a decent FA Cup run,” said Wright. “We did have an FA Trophy run last year but it isn’t the same as the FA Cup, this is more in the public eye.”