Match Preview: Radcliffe (a)

    We make the trip to Radcliffe tomorrow evening as the league leaders of the National League North.

    The Seals climbed into first position after beating Scarborough Athletic in a 4-2 thriller on the weekend. Oxford City’s late equaliser against Kidderminster Harriers means we have a one point lead at the top of the table.

    Fin Roberts marked his debut with a goal against Scarborough while also contributing to Will Thornton’s own goal before Declan Weeks and Dan Mooney also got on the scoresheet.

    That impressive win in North Yorkshire was our fifth successive victory and extended our unbeaten run to eight matches.

    Calum McIntyre’s players have been ruthless on their travels recently, with 15 goals scored in their last four away trips.

    In the reverse fixture back in August, the Blues picked up their first points of the season by beating Radcliffe 2-0 at the Deva Stadium.

    THE OPPOSITION

    Radcliffe climbed out of the relegation zone on the weekend by edging out Hereford in 3-2 win at the Neuven Stadium.

    Jordan Hulme grabbed a brace with Tom Walker netting the other goal for The Boro.

    This campaign has been Radcliffe’s first season in the sixth tier in two decades after they were promoted from the Northern Premier League Premier Division as champions.

    They finished ten points clear of second place Macclesfield and recorded over a century of goals in the process.

    Since the turn of the year, Radcliffe haven’t lost in the league. They comfortably beat Farsley Celtic on New Year’s Day before drawing away to Needham Market.

    However, they were emphatically knocked out of the FA Trophy a few weeks ago as National League outfit Woking ran out 4-0 winners.

    THE GAFFER(S)

    The two individuals in the dugout are no strangers to the Deva Stadium having managed Chester between 2018 and 2021.

    Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson are recognised as joint first-team managers and have established themselves in the Non-League scene after overseeing a plethora of clubs.

    The pair rose to fame by guiding Salford City, who are notably owned by the ‘Class of ’92’, to the National League after three promotions. Johnson and Morley had caught the eye after a successful spell at Ramsbottom where they had also overseen a rise up the pyramid.

    After parting ways with the Amnies, they arrived in CH1 and spent over three years in charge of the Seals.

    A short stint at Spennymoor Town followed before taking the reins at Radcliffe in the summer of 2023.

    In their first season with the club, the experienced duo transformed Boro into a force to be reckoned with which resulted in a richly deserved promotion.

    ONE TO WATCH

    Jordan Hulme is Radcliffe’s top scorer this term with six goals to his name – with five of those strikes coming in his last eight league outings.

    The captain added two more goals to his tally on the weekend as his brace helped his side to a 3-2 triumph over Hereford.

    In 2023, the 34-year-old was reunited with the managers that gave him his first opportunities at Ramsbottom.

    Hulme followed Johnson and Morley to Salford before appearing for the likes of Altrincham and AFC Fylde.

    LEAGUE FORM GUIDE

    Radcliffe FC | W6 D7 L11 | F31 A44 | Pos: 19th

    Last Three

    Farsley Celtic (H) | W3 3-0 | Scorers: Bradley Jackson, Matthew Sargent, Jordan Hulme

    Needham Market (A) | D 1-1 | Scorers: Tom Walker

    Hereford (H) | W 3-2 | Scorers: Jordan Hulme x2, Tom Walker

    Chester FC | W15 D7 L6 | F44 A29 | Pos: 1st

    Last Three

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

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

    Scarborough Athletic (A) | W 4-2 | Scorers: Fin Roberts, Will Thornton (o.g), Declan Weeks, Dan Mooney

    Match Preview by Jude Deedigan.

    MATCH DETAILS

    The game kicks off at 7.45pm at the Neuven Stadium on Tuesday night. The postcode for the stadium is M26 3PE.

    TICKETING ARRANGEMENTS

    Segregation is in place for this fixture. Chester FC fans should enter via turnstile C. Advanced tickets are recommended, with Under 16’s not requiring a ticket.

    Some tickets require ID to be produced on demand and the Club reserves the right to refuse entry without ID or if the ID produced is deemed unsatisfactory. In any event the Club reserves the right to refuse entry for any reason.

    Prices are as follows:

    • Adults £15
    • Concessions £10
    • Under 16’s Free

    CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS ONLINE!

    Parking for supporters is available at Radcliffe Cricket Club, 5 minutes from the ground at a cost of £2 per vehicle. Refreshment kiosks will be open before and during the match inside the stadium and are accessible from both stand and terraces.

    MATCHDAY COVERAGE

    FREE match commentary available on Seals Live via our Match Centre: CLICK HERE

    Match Updates on our Twitter/X page: CLICK HERE

    HT/FT Updates on Facebook and Instagram: CLICK HERE

    A full time match report on ChesterFC.com: CLICK HERE

    The game is available to watch on the NLTV DAZN platform: CLICK HERE