Blues Match Preview: Chester FC v Bedford Town

Chester FC will be looking to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat away to Spennymoor Town as they host Bedford Town on Saturday afternoon.

Following today’s fixture we have a two-week wait for our next National League North game, where we take another trip up north to face promotion hopefuls South Shields.

Saturday provides an opportunity for Parkinson’s men to take our first victory against Bedford at the Deva Community Stadium, after we claimed a 2-1 success on the road back in February.

Opposition

Bedford Town have had a positive start to the season as they currently sit one point adrift of the Blues in the final play-off position, kicking on from last campaign where they survived in their first-ever season in the sixth tier by a single point.

The Eagles continued their impressive Emirates FA Cup run last time out and are now just one win away from the first round proper, a stage they haven’t reached in 25 years.

They took down Wingate & Finchley 3-1 in a replay on Tuesday night, thanks to a Louie Kudiabor brace and a goal from George Moncur.

It’s not just their FA Cup form that has impressed recently as today’s visitors have won four out of their last six NLN games.

Most impressively they took down Spennymoor Town and Telford United with 3-1 and 1-0 wins, respectively, over a busy August Bank Holiday weekend.

Despite this, Harry Smart’s side have found it tougher on their travels so far this season, taking two victories from their six away games, conceding nine in the process.

The Blues can look to our last game against today’s opponents for inspiration as we took a 2-1 victory in February when we completed a dramatic turnaround, with Phil Croker and Fin Shrimpton scoring in the last 10 minutes to take all three points.

Gaffer 

At just 28 years old, Harry Smart became the youngest manager in the top six tiers of English football when he took over at The New Eyrie this summer, following Lee Bircham’s departure.

Harry was familiar with the club upon his appointment, having served as the assistant coach for the last of Bircham’s three-year stint.

Smart made his break in coaching as a teenager for Royston Town FC, where he was a player-coach for two seasons. It was here that he achieved his biggest achievement to date, helping his side reach the quarter finals of the FA Trophy in 2020.

The end of his playing career came three years later, after he balanced dual responsibilities for the last time from 2022 to 2023 at Biggleswade Town FC.

Despite his young age, Smart is into his 11th year of coaching, as he’s also plied his trade at the likes of Histon FC and the Stevenage Academy.

In his shortened playing career, before he transitioned into coaching, he featured in goal for Colney Heath, Potters Bar Town, and Hillingdon Borough.

One to watch

Completing the permanent signing of George Moncur was a huge sign of intent for Bedford Town, as the club attempted to bolster their squad following survival in their first season back in step two.

After arriving on loan in February, Moncur was a bright spark in the Eagles’ side, scoring in three of his side’s last five games to help them secure their place in the league for the 2026/27 season.

The 33-year-old has kicked on this campaign, netting seven times in all competitions, with three of those coming in their FA Cup Third Qualifying Round ties.

The experienced midfielder singlehandedly forced Wingate & Finchley to a replay with a brace in the first encounter, before scoring Bedford’s second goal of the night in their 3-1 victory in the replay.

Before he dropped down into the non-league pyramid with Ebbsfleet United, Moncur had an illustrious career across the Football League. His most successful season came in 2018/19 as he achieved the rare feat of winning two promotions in the same year.

Starting the campaign at runners-up Barnsley, the England youth international made 21 appearances before he earned a move to Luton in January, where he scored six goals as a part of their League One title-winning squad.

His youth career was just as impressive as he was a member of the West Ham United Academy where he became the Young Hammer of the Year in 2013.

As previously mentioned, Moncur has racked up plenty of EFL experience, making more than 300 appearances and featuring for the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Hull City, and Peterborough United.

Match preview by Harry Bennett.

Form guide

Bedford Town | W5 D1 L4 | F14 A14 | Pos: 10th 

Last three

• Wingate & Finchley (A) | (W) 3-1 | Scorers: Louie Kudiabor x2, George Moncur
• Wingate & Finchley (H) | (D) 2-2 | Scorers: George Moncur x2
• Hereford (H) | (D) 1-1| Scorers: Reece Evans

Chester FC | W5 D2 L3 | F13 A9 | Pos: 7th

Last three

• Spennymoor (A) | (L) 4-1 | Scorers: Billy Waters
• Worksop (H) | (W) 4-1 | Scorers: Ruben Butt, Billy Waters x2, Jefferson Abreu
• Lower Breck (A) | (W) 2-1 | Scorers: Ruben Butt x2

Match Details

The match at the Deva Community Stadium will kick-off at 15:00.