CHORLEY boss Mark Patterson will step up his search for a striker during the next 10 days as he looks to beef-up his attacking options.

The Magpies chief has already managed to shore up his leaky defence thanks to the capture of former Blackburn Rovers player Keith Hill.

Now Patterson is on the look-out for a foil for his free-scoring frontman, Andy Mason, as he attempts to assemble a team capable of qualifying for next season's revamped Unibond Premier Division.

"I'm looking for a striker and I hope to bring someone in during the next couple of weeks," said Patterson.

"Andy Mason is still getting his match fitness back and he'll get his chance tomorrow.

"And Ian Barker is also working very hard at the moment but I'm looking to bring someone else in to boost the numbers."

Patterson has ruled out recalling Marcus Hallows early from his loan spell at Altrincham so the striker will remain with the Premier Division club until the middle of next month.

In the meantime, Patterson could be in line for a return to action himself when Chorley entertain North Ferriby United tomorrow.

The veteran midfielder, who boasts a wealth of league experience with Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and Sheffield United amongst others, came through a training session on Wednesday night and hopes to name himself on the bench tomorrow after recovering from an Achilles injury.

Former Bury defender Andy Woodward could also feature after making great strides in his battle to regain match fitness following a spell out of the game.

"Andy's still got a little bit of weight to lose but he's working hard on his own and he's getting there," said Patterson.

"He will be a massive bonus for us once he's fully match-fit and Jamie Bates is also back in contention, too, which is another major plus."

Chorley currently find themselves in the lower reaches of the table but they have games in hand on most of their rivals.

And Patterson is looking to make home advantage count during the next couple of weeks.

"It's a big game tomorrow. We've been on a little run recently and it's important we keep that going."