Chester FC aim to put their disappointing 2-2 draw to Merthyr Town behind them as they continue their FA Cup campaign away at National League side Morecambe FC this weekend.
Both teams have had a rocky start to the season with the Seals currently sitting in 17th in the National League North.
Chester, with just two league games this season, have taken the lead in five of their 10 games, but have gone on to drop points in four of these in either a loss or a draw.
Their most recent outing saw them leading 2-1 at home against Merthyr Town before conceding a 90th minute equaliser.
Morecambe, relegated from League Two last season, are back in the National League after 18 years in the EFL and find themselves rooted to the foot of the table after winning just two of their 12 games, conceding 36 goals.
They’ve lost four of their last five league matches, with three of these by two goals or over. The last match was a 1-1 draw with Tamworth, where Morecambe were only able to hold their lead for five minutes before the home team equalised.
Neither of the two teams have come back from losing positions in their league games to gain many points, meaning that getting the first goal will be crucial for both teams if they hope to continue their FA Cup journey.
The teams have not met competitively since the establishment of Chester FC in 2010, but their two friendlies in 2018 and 2022 both ended in a stalemate.
Since those friendlies, Chester have bounced around the National League and the National League North, whilst Morecambe have been in and around League One and Two.
Despite their league form, Chester have had a good run in their previous two FA Cup games, coming through the second qualifying round with a 2-1 win over Stalybridge Celtic, and the third qualifying round with a dominant 5-1 win over Curzon Ashton.
Last season, the team also reached the fourth qualifying round but exited the cup following a 3-1 loss to Scarborough Athletic.
Their opponents entered the FA Cup at the first-round last season, and got through to the third, where they fell short in a 5-0 loss to Premier League side Chelsea.
Morecambe, now entering in the fourth qualifying round, should be favourites to advance over a team in the league beneath them, but their struggles in defence leave an opportunity open for Chester to extend their run of FA Cup form.
