Southport welcome Chorley at The Pure Stadium, Southport, Merseyside on Saturday, Jan 2 at 4:00 PM in a National League – North fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 1 point split them in the table.

Southport come into this fixture in mixed form (1W 2D 1L). Chorley, meanwhile, arrive in mixed form (2W 0D 2L) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks.

Despite playing at home, Southport face a side that has dominated this fixture historically. Chorley have won 5 of 10 encounters, with 3 draws. Their last encounter ended in Southport won 2–4. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.2 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Southport a slight edge, but Chorley are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.