The Dabbers are in action after a week and a half’s gap this Tuesday night (7.45pm kick-off), and it’s another big game as we welcome Markse to the Swansway Stadium for the first time ever.
The Marske of Zorro
Marske come into this game on a run of 7 straight defeats, including especially damaging losses in their last 2 against teams also at the wrong end of the table in Whitby and Atherton.
This run sees them sit 20th in the Northern Premier League, a place and 6 points behind the Dabbers. A big factor to consider though is the number of games in hand they have, 5 on Nantwich and at least 3 on several other teams down there, as a result of weather postponements and a run to the 4th Round of the FA Trophy. 4 of those 5 games in hand on Nantwich will also be at home.
In the course of the season, they have conceded the joint second most goals in away games out of all teams in the league.
Who’s that behind the Marske?
As we have no previous meetings to look back on, we can look a bit closer at the history of Tuesday’s opponents who play at Mount Pleasant up in North Yorkshire.
Formed in 1956, they spent most of their early years playing in the Teeside and Wearside Leagues.
The last decade has seen the most successful spell in their history, steadily climbing the divisions and peaking with play-off glory last season to reach the seventh tier for the first time ever and topping it off with that FA Trophy run which was by far their best ever performance in the competition.
Players to Watch
Adam Boyes has an impressive 15 goals to his name in all competitions, including 3 in his last 5 appearances. He’s picked up at a higher level where he left it last season, where he scored an astonishing 46 goals in 50 appearances in all competitions, including 11 in the FA Cup, which made him the top scorer in the entire competition that season and saw him receiving the FA Golden Ball trophy from Ian Rush at the final at Wembley.
There’s a new and familiar name up top with Boyes as well, as Jacob Day recently joined the club from Whitby. It’s also not totally clear who will be in goal, an illness in the camp at the start of the month left them without a senior goalkeeper so they signed two on an emergency basis, including Oliver Swan from Middlesbrough who has started their last 2 matches.
And Donald Chimalilo scored their last goal away at Whitby, which you can watch below.
From the deflected shot off the deep cross into the box, Chimalilo puts it away for @MarskeUnitedFC
against Whitby Town @PitchingIn_ pic.twitter.com/l2osgRH8Nf— The Pitching In Northern Premier League (@NorthernPremLge) February 20, 2023
Match Information
Tickets are available HERE or can be bought on the gate. As always, you can listen to live commentary on The Cat FM if you can’t make the game.