ALTHOUGH the main course on Saturday's soccer menu was being beamed from Old Trafford, fans gathering at Victory Park could hardly have been served a more tasty appetiser than this action-packed six-goal feast.

The Magpies in fact turned an unpromising half-time deficit into a rousing victory, with diminutive playmaker Neil Mitchell providing most of the ammunition.

Kendal had looked far more dangerous from limited attacks in the first half, Kevin Barnes bringing a cracking early save out of Simon Marsh with a venomous shot on the turn. The Magpies had created only half-chances before Town seized the lead in the 39th minute when Lee Chambers got in a prefectly-placed diving header to a right-wing cross. Chambers could, and perhaps should, have wrapped things up by half-time but he saw a point-blank downward header bounce over the bar and then all but beat Marsh with a whippy angled drive which the keeper showed great agility to grab at the second attempt.

Straight after the interval Chambers teed up Barnes but the big striker scooped the ball wide from short range and that was the last chance for the visitors to take the points as they fell apart once Chorley drew level on 50 minutes.

Mitchell threaded an inviting low ball into the box and Andy Mason swept in his tenth goal of the season. Five minutes later, Mitchell's free-kick was met by David Sutch with a looping header which found the top corner to put the Magpies in front.

Kendal keeper Lee Ward valiantly kept out a Danny Mills blockbuster as Chorley stepped up the tempo and then Sutch popped up again with a superb near-post header from a Mitchell corner on 75 minutes to make it 3-1.

If the Magpies thought it was all over, they were shaken up with six minutes to play, when the lively Chambers beat Marsh in a race for possession, before squaring the ball to leave substitute Dave Foster with a simple tap-in.

But Chorley still ended the proceedings with a flourish, substitute David Eatock producing a sublime finish on 89 minutes, a crisp shot into the bottom corner from Scott Bradford's intelligent lay-off.

RESULT: CHORLEY...4 KENDAL TOWN...2