FA Cup Preview: Spennymoor Town v Chester FC

Chester FC are on the road for their second consecutive Emirates FA Cup tie as they travel to Spennymoor Town in the Third Qualifying Round this afternoon.

Making his first start for the club, Ruben Butt scored a brace away at Lower Breck to secure our place at this stage, kicking off a two-game winning run in the process.

Our squad has been strengthened for this tie as new signing Wesley Frimpong is available to make his debut for Phil Parkinson’s side at The Brewery Field.

Opposition

Spennymoor have had a challenging start to the 2026/27 season as they’ve picked up seven points from their opening 10 National League North fixtures.

After losing his first two games as interim manager against Hereford and Spalding United, Jason Ainsley steadied the ship as the Moors went unbeaten in their last three games under his leadership.

Two of those came in the league as back-to-back draws against Macclesfield and Southport lifted them from the bottom of the table.

They came either side of an impressive 4-0 victory against Emley in the FA Cup second qualifying round, thanks to a brace from Jack Young alongside goals from Danny Johnson and Glen Taylor.

Although Spennymoor find themselves in the relegation zone, our opponents have maintained a threat in front of goal, scoring in all but one of their games so far this season.

The Blues completed the double over their opponents in 2025/26 with a pair of 2-1 victories last season.

Gaffer

The Blues face an unknown quantity this weekend as Peter Hartley will take to the Spennymoor dugout for the first time following his appointment earlier this week.

Although Saturday will be the first game the 38-year-old has managed, he’s been a part of successful coaching set-ups before earning his move to the North East.

His biggest achievement on the sidelines came at St Mirren where he supported Stephen Robinson in a successful two-year spell, during which he helped the Paisley-based side break their 12-year trophy drought as they went on to win the 2025 Premier Sports Cup.

Hartley was known for his leadership throughout his playing career as he captained Motherwell, led Jamshedpur FC to the Indian Super League Winners’ Shield, and became Hartlepool United’s youngest-ever captain at 23.

The commanding defender also featured in the Premier League for Sunderland, alongside stints for Plymouth Argyle, Stevenage, and Bristol Rovers.

One to watch

After his return from injury, Glen Taylor’s goals have been crucial to Spennymoor’s uptick in form.

The 36-year-old rescued a vital point for the Moors in their last National League North fixture as he netted twice in the last 15 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw away to Southport.

Spennymoor’s record goalscorer opened his account for the season with a brace against Merthyr Town in August, but failed to get back on to the scoresheet until he returned from the sidelines against Emley.

Taylor completed the scoring in injury time of his side’s 4-0 win to seal their place against Parkinson’s men for the FA Cup third qualifying round.

The prolific forward has enjoyed hosting the Blues at The Brewery Field. He’s scored five of his seven goals against our side on home turf, taking victory in each of those fixtures.

Having played for Spennymoor for a combined 12 years, not many other clubs have had the services of the striker, but early in his career he also turned out for Ashington, Whitley Bay, and Blyth Spartans.

Form guide

Spennymoor | W1 D4 L5 | F11 A21 | Pos: 23rd 

Last three

• Southport (A) | (D) 2-2 | Scorers: Glen Taylor x2
• Emley (A) | (W) 4-0 | Scorers: Jack Young x2, Danny Johnson, Glen Taylor
• Macclesfield (H) | (D) 1-1 | Scorers: Danny Johnson

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

Last three

• Worksop (H) | (W) 4-1 | Scorers: Ruben Butt, Billy Waters x2, Jefferson Abreu
• Lower Breck (A) | (W) 2-1 | Scorers: Ruben Butt x2
• Buxton (A) | (L) 3-1 | Scorers: Billy Waters

Kick off at The Brewery Field will be at 3:00 pm on Saturday, 3rd October.

Match Preview by Harry Bennett.