Blues Match Preview: Chester v Morecambe

Fin Shrimpton’s dramatic equaliser on Saturday at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium earned the Blues an FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round replay against National League outfit Morecambe.

The 95th minute strike levelled the scoreline after Gwion Edwards had put the Shrimps in front in the 21st minute.

The victor of the tie at the Deva Stadium will be on the road in the First Round with a trip to Cambridge United on the weekend of Saturday 1st November.

The Opposition

The Shrimps have faced a tough start to life in the National League on their return to the division that they last featured in 18 years ago.

The club currently find themselves in 24th with a record of eight points from their opening 12 outings.

Saturday’s clash was the first competitive fixture between the two sides since February 2009 when Morecambe ran out 3-1 winners in League Two.

The Gaffer

The youngest manager in England’s top five divisions, Ashvir Singh Johal stepped into his maiden first-team managerial role when he was appointed as boss at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium in the summer.

Johal spent a decade as a coach in various roles at Leicester City’s academy prior to 2022, when he made the switch to Wigan Athletic to work under the management of Kolo Toure.

The 30-year-old then worked under Cesc Fabregas at Italian side Como before a recent stint in the coaching setup at Notts County.

Johal became the first Sikh to take charge of a professional English club when he was appointed in Lancashire over the summer.

One to Watch

Jack Nolan was a threat to the Blues’ back line on Saturday afternoon and rattled the post on two occasions in the second-half.

The forward has three goals and three assists to his name so far this term, including crucial strikes in the 4-3 win over Wealdstone and the 4-4 draw away at Solihull Moors.

The 24-year-old’s most notable previous stint came at fellow-Lancashire outfit Accrington Stanley where he featured on 80 occasions and netted 18 times.

Nolan has also plied his trade for Gillingham and Walsall after a period in the youth setup at Reading.

MATCH DETAILS

Tuesday’s game will kick off at 19:45 at the Deva Stadium.