Preview: Morecambe (H)

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. The address for the ground is Deva Stadium, Bumpers Lane, Chester, CH1 4LT.

TICKET DETAILS

Tickets are available for the game via fanbase. Click below to secure your spot!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE!

FOOD AND DRINK

Unfortunately, due to the short notice of the tie, the fan canopy will not be in use for this fixture.

Keep it Sweet

Keep it Sweet will be at the Deva to serve all your sweet needs before tomorrow’s game!

Hot drinks will be available including coffee and hot chocolate with fresh cream & marshmallows, alongside sweet treats such as delicious cookies and brownies.

Grills and Chills

The popular Grills and Chills van will be at the Deva to provide hot food for supporters!

The menu for Tuesday night’s game includes:

• Wild Boar sausages, with skin on fries, onion gravy and mushy peas – £7
• Chinese-style salt and pepper chips – £7
• Vegetable chilli con carne and rice – £5
• Chips and gravy – £4
• Cheesy chips – £4
• Cold refreshments – £2.50

The Blues Bar

The Blues Bar will be open both pre and post-match to offer refreshments and for supporters to soak up the matchday atmosphere.

The app2tap machines will be inside the bar to give supporters the ability to purchase and pour their own pints – This will be available on two Madri pumps and two Guinness pumps.