Brackley Town face a significant National League North test on Saturday 7 November when they host promotion-chasing Chester at St James Park. The match kicks off at 3pm on November 7 and presents a chance for the Saints, currently 18th in the table with 16 points from 14 games, to build on a positive result in midweek.
Gavin Cowan's side moved up to that 18th place with a 1-0 away win over Worksop Town on October 31. Danny Campton-Sturridge scored the only goal after 29 minutes, securing a valuable clean sheet on the road. That result snapped a three-game winless run in the league and lifted the club to 16 points from 14 matches, a record of four wins, four draws and six losses. They remain 11 points adrift of the league leaders but have a chance to close the gap on a direct rival on Saturday 7 November.
Recent form
Brackley Town's recent form has been mixed, with two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five outings. Before the victory at Worksop, they drew 2-2 at Spalding United and suffered narrow 1-0 defeats to Radcliffe and Chelmsford City. The sequence of results reads as a win, a draw, and three losses, with the win before that being a 2-1 victory over Spennymoor Town on October 10. The team has scored 17 goals this season but conceded 26, leaving them with a goal difference of minus nine. Campton-Sturridge has been a key figure, netting a brace in the draw at Spalding, which followed a 3-2 loss at Hednesford Town on October 17.
The challenge ahead
Chester arrive sitting fifth in the National League - North, making this a tough assignment for the home side. The visitors are firmly in the play-off picture and will provide a stern measure of Brackley Town's progress. The Saints will need to be defensively resolute, having kept only one clean sheet in their last six league games. A full list of upcoming matches is available on the club's fixtures page.
With no fresh injury news reported, Cowan is expected to have a similar squad to the one that triumphed at Worksop. The manager will likely emphasise organisation and taking chances when they come against a strong Chester defence. Brackley Town's next fixture after this is another home game, scheduled for November 14.
