Chelmsford City and Northern Premier League side Whitby Town FC meet again on Tuesday night, as the Clarets look to earn a place in the FA Cup First Round proper at the second time of asking.
The Seasiders have beaten Goole AFC, Prescot Cables, and Morpeth Town so far in the competition to reach this stage, and are looking to play in the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2001/02. Whitby have also enjoyed a comfortable league campaign so far this season, Nathan Haslam’s side have collected 16 points from their opening nine Northern Premier League games.
Opposition:
Whitby boss Nathan Haslam was originally appointed as the club’s joint manager in 2020 alongside Lee Bullock. Haslam took the reins as sole manager in September last year following the resignation of Bullock.
The Seasiders’ fortunes in recent seasons have been mixed; in 2021/22 the club finished 7th in the Northern Premier League and missed out on a play-off place by a five points, but the club’s league performance dipped in the 2022/23 season after finishing in 15th, six points above the relegation zone.
Haslam’s side have already bettered last season’s showing in the FA Cup; a defeat to his former club Marske FC saw Whitby eliminated from the competition in the second qualifying round in 22/23.
Whitby possess some players with past EFL experience; centre back Daniel Rowe made a number of appearances for Wycombe Wanderers in League Two between 2014 and 2017, whilst forward Bradley Fewster scored 8 goals in 24 games for York City in the 2015/16 League Two season. Fewster is also capped at youth level with England.
Robbie Simpson’s side will look to contain dangerous Seasiders winger Junior Mondal, the 26-year-old registered a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 2-2 draw.
Most recent meeting:
Tuesday’s replay will mark the second ever meeting between both clubs. Whitby went 2-0 ahead at the Melbourne Community Stadium on Saturday, via a goal in either half from Jacob Gratton and Junior Mondal respectively. Efforts from Anthony Wordsworth and Mo Bettamer levelled proceedings in the second period for the Clarets; these goals proved to be enough to force a replay.
Team news:
Striker Mohammed Bettamer will be assessed ahead of Tuesday night after being forced off on Saturday. City captain Dave Winfield remains sidelined.
Ticketing news:
Admission prices at the Towbar Express Stadium at the Turnbull Ground are as follows:
· Adult: £12
· Concession: £8
· Under 18s: £4
Getting there:
According to Trainline, it can take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours to get from Chelmsford to Whitby via train travel. By car, it’s expected the journey from the Melbourne Community Stadium to the Towbar Express Stadium at the Turnball Ground will take around four and a half to five and a half hours.
How to follow the game:
Clarets fans can follow live updates on the game by following the club’s X (formerly known as Twitter) page: @OfficialClarets.
Radio Clarets will be providing free live audio commentary of Tuesday’s proceedings at the Towbar Express Stadium at the Turnbull Ground.
Post-match reaction will be found on the club’s website, official social media channels and on ClaretsTV following the game.
Words By Jake Dixon
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