Blues Match Preview: Scarborough Athletic v Chester FC

Friday, 24 January 2025 16:17

Calum McIntyre’s men will look to make it five wins on the bounce on Saturday with a trip to Scarborough Athletic.

The Deva Stadium witnessed a memorable contest on Tuesday night with Spennymoor Town, as Dan Mooney bagged a late winner in the 81st minute after the 25-year-old had rejoined the Seals just hours earlier.

It has been a successful start to 2025 for the Blues, who now embark on a run of four successive away contests, a stretch of fixtures that could prove important at the end of the campaign.

The Opposition

Saturday’s clash will be our third meeting with the Seadogs this season, and home advantage has prevailed in the previous two.

The reverse league fixture was a dramatic one at the Deva, as a brace from Charlie Caton was cancelled out by goals from Dom Tear and Franke Mulhern, before Kurt Willoughby unleashed a powerful strike from 20 yards out in the 92nd minute to claim all three points for the Blues.

Scarborough got their revenge in October though, as a Dom Tear double and a Richie Bennett penalty secured the hosts’ FA Cup qualification in North Yorkshire, before Iwan Murray grabbed a consolation with a superb free-kick in stoppage time.

It has been an inconsistent league campaign for Jonathan Greening’s side, who currently sit in 15th, nine points away from the top seven but 11 clear of the drop zone.

A dominant display over Farsley Celtic last time out halted a poor run of five games without a win, a spell which included tight defeats to Hereford, Darlington and Kidderminster Harriers.

The Gaffer

Ex-Manchester United midfielder Jonathan Greening has been at the helm in North Yorkshire for over three years, since his appointment in May 2021, when the Seadogs were situated in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

The 46-year-old was born in Scarborough, and led the club the to play-off success in the NPL in his first campaign, as a 2-1 victory over Warrington Town secured promotion.

Greening’s first campaign in the National League North was another successful one, as he guided the Seadogs to within goal difference of the play-offs as they finished eighth, just two goals behind seventh-placed Gloucester City.

The boss featured for the Red Devils between 1998-2001, and also had notable stints as a player with West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest.

One To Watch

Forward Dom Tear has excited fans at the Scarborough Sports Village throughout this campaign with his pace and his partnership with experienced striker Richie Bennett.

Tear is the Seadogs’ top scorer in the league this season, with eight goals to his name, a record that includes an opening day hat-trick against Radcliffe.

The 25-year-old has netted in both of our meetings with Scarborough this season, the 3-2 league win in August and the 3-1 FA Cup defeat in October.

The winger showed promise in the Huddersfield Town academy where he picked up the Terriers’ Academy Player of the Year award in 2018, but he was released in 2020 and has since had stints with FC Halifax Town, Blyth Spartans, Buxton and Guiseley, before he put pen to paper with the Seadogs in July 2022.

League Form Guide

Scarborough Athletic | W8 D9 L9 | F36 A33 | Pos: 15th

Last three

Spennymoor Town (H) | D 1-1 | Scorers: Luca Colville

Kidderminster Harriers (H) | L 3-2 | Scorers: Luca Colville, Harry Green

Farsley Celtic (A) | W 5-0 | Scorers: Richie Bennett x2, Alex Brown, Dom Tear, Luca Colville

Chester FC | W14 D7 L6 | F40 A27 | Pos: 2nd

Last three

Leamington (A) | W 4-1 | Scorers: Charlie Caton, Tom Peers, Kurt Willoughby, Harrison Burke

Alfreton Town (H) | W 2-0 | Scorers: Harrison Burke, Tom Peers

Spennymoor Town (H) | W 1-0 | Scorers: Dan Mooney

Match Preview by Tom Bird.