Blues Match Preview: Morecambe v Chester FC

Chester FC's Emirates FA Cup journey continues on Saturday, with a trip to Enterprise National League outfit Morecambe.

Progression to this stage has been secured thanks to a 2-1 success on the road at Stalybridge Celtic and a dominant 5-1 win over Curzon Ashton at the Deva Stadium.

Morecambe’s cup campaign starts at this stage due to their fifth-tier status, and it will be the first time they have competed at this stage since 2006 following the club’s relegation from the EFL last term.

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.

Despite ex-Chester forward Ben Tollitt’s close-range finish in the 70th minute, midweek action saw defeat for Morecambe on the road at Glanford Park, a result that followed a battling 1-1 draw away at Tamworth last Saturday.

Goals have flown in at a very regular rate so far in 25/26, with 16 goals scored and 36 conceded, an average of over four per game.

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

Midfielder Miguel Azeez has made an impact at Morecambe since his arrival in the summer.

The 23-year-old started his career in the youth setup at Arsenal, a club which he joined at the age of five.

He earned a professional contract with the Gunners in 2019 and made his first-team debut in a 4-2 UEFA Europa League success over Dundalk in December 2020.

Loan moves to Portsmouth, UD Ibiza and Wigan Athletic followed for Azeez before a permanent move to Mallorca-based club Atlético Baleares in 2024.

The central midfielder moved back to England this summer after a spell with Greek club PAS Giannina, and has started in all of the Shrimps last 10 encounters.

MATCH DETAILS

Kick off at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium will be at 15:00 on Saturday 11th October.

The postcode for the ground is LA4 4TB.

Chester FC supporters have been allocated standing tickets in the Dennison Trailers Stand and seated tickets in the Castle Windows Stand.