Chester FC V Pontefract Collieries | Match Thread #16 | Emirates FA Cu

On the back of a narrow win over Southport we are on home turf once again as we host Pontefract Collieries at home tomorrow in the Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round where we hope this will be the benchmark for a successful run. Our first team have already been successful at the Deva this week, while our youth team were also triumphant on Wednesday, so it would be brilliant if our seniors were to make it a hat-trick of victories tomorrow. It’s important we don’t underestimate Pontefract by turning up expecting it to be a walkover, especially given our record against lower league sides over the years. I’m confident that as a Chester supporter himself, Calum McIntyre will know this too well. When in charge of our academy Calum guided them to several lengthy cup runs, so let’s hope that he will be the man to give our first team a long-awaited run in the FA Cup, as we are very much due one.

Our last match was on Tuesday as we won 1-0 at home against Southport in what was arguably a game of two halves. The first-period was a sluggish affair, as we failed to really get going with us creating very little. We did have the ball in the net 12 minutes in, as Danny Devine slotted in, but unfortunately it was chalked off due to Kole Hall being booked prior to that. It was no surprise that it was still goalless at half-time - owing to an uneventful half. However, we performed better in the second-half given we created plenty of chances. Eight minutes into the half we took the lead courtesy of Kole Hall, who dispatched into the back of the net to make it 1-0. Former Seal Jordan Archer was a whisker away from equalising for Southport, but fortunately he could only flick a header onto the post. We saw out the game to record a slender but important victory.

Pontefract Collieries ply their trade in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Division One East and will be making the venture from Yorkshire looking to cause a huge upset. The Colls were promoted to Step 4 for the first time in their history in 2018, following back-to-back promotions from Step 6 and Step 5 respectively. Pontefract’s first ever campaign in Step 4 was an impressive one, as they reached the play-off final in the 2018-19 season - losing 0-3 to fellow Yorkshire counterparts Brighouse Town in May 2019. The Yorkshire outfit have since failed to win promotion to Step 3 for the first ever time, however they have made a strong start to this current season having failed to lose in any of their five league clashes. Pontefract sit just one point outside the play-off places, so they are certainly no pushovers.

Best case scenario would obviously be to just win the tie tomorrow, because given how many Saturday/Tuesdays we have throughout the season, we could really do with avoiding a replay to save our legs. Although Pontefract Collieries play two divisions below us, I still think we should try and field our strongest possible team as we need to take the FA Cup incredibly seriously. Thankfully for us, Joe Lynch and Adam Thomas’ suspensions are now over, so they will be available for tomorrow which is a huge boost for us. Come On City ????⚪️????⚪️!


???????????????????? - Chester FC (Stephenson, Devine, Burke) 3-1 Pontefract Collieries (Allott).


???????????????????????????????????????? - 1,483 (66 Pontefract Collieries).


???????? ???????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????:
Tyrer
Coates Burke Kenyon Coulton
Lynch Devine McHugh
Hall Willoughby Stephenson.


???????????????????????????? - tickets for this clash are available online, and you can purchase yours by clicking on the link below up until kick-off. However, you can still buy a ticket on the day of the game tomorrow afternoon from our ticket office, but with cashless turnstiles in operation payment by card is strongly encouraged. Also, you are able to pay at the turnstile by card, with chip and pin, contactless, Apple Pay, plus Google Pay options all in place in the Gary Talbot Stand, the Harry McNally Terrace, and the Swettenham Chemists’ Community Stand. Younger supporters aged between 12 and 17, who wish to pay with cash tomorrow, can do so at the City Fans United gazebo outside our ticket office ⬇️:
chesterfc.ktckts.com/event/ctr2223fac2/chester-vs-pontefract-collieries-emirates-fa-cup-2qr


???????????????????????????????????????? - The Cestrian matchday programme is available to purchase for just £2.50 from our club shop and our sellers throughout the ground. Also, you can order a printed copy for £2.50 and a digital copy for £2.00 online by clicking on the link below ⬇️:
www.matchdaycreative.co.uk/collections/chester-fc-programmes


???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? - for those who cannot attend tomorrow’s game, you can listen to the match on Seals Live for free by clicking on the link below ⬇️:
sealslive.mixlr.com/


COYS!