Brackley Town face a quick turnaround as they prepare for a National League North away fixture against Chorley on Monday. The Saints head to Grant Store Victory Park Stadium for a 3pm kick-off, their schedule altered after their weekend match was abandoned.
Andy Whing's side were due to play South Shields on Saturday, but persistent rainfall made the pitch unplayable. The match was called off after 35 minutes with the scoreline still at 0-0. This means Brackley Town arrive at Victory Park having not completed their most recent fixture, a situation that can disrupt a team's rhythm. Their current league standing shows the challenge, sitting 20th with 5 points from five games, a record of one win, two draws, and two losses.
Managed by Andy Preece, Chorley, known as The Magpies, took a point from a long trip to Penydarren Park on Saturday. They drew 1-1 with Merthyr Town, with Warren Clarke opening the scoring via a first-half header from an Adam Henley cross. Elliot Taylor threatened to double the lead after chances created by Li-Bau Stowell's long passes, but Merthyr Town hit the woodwork twice through Jacob Maddox and Iwan John. The hosts equalised seven minutes from time through an excellent curled effort from Elis Watts into the top corner. That result gave Chorley seven points from their opening four games, following back-to-back wins against Marine and Scarborough Athletic.
The head-to-head record between Chorley and Brackley Town is described as closely fought with little separating the sides. Both clubs know each other well from competing in the National League North over several seasons. Monday's encounter represents another opportunity for Andy Preece's side to test themselves against Brackley Town. For the visitors, it's a chance to build momentum in a league they know intimately. Brackley Town spent four seasons at Step One after winning promotion to the National League in 2021, even reaching the play-offs in their first campaign, before their time at that level ended last season.
This match is a key part of Brackley Town's effort to climb the standings. With six goals scored and eight conceded so far this season, giving them a -2 goal difference, tightening up at the back will be important. They currently find themselves 11 points behind the early leaders, Macclesfield. Every point is valuable as they look to move away from the lower reaches of the table. The next challenge after this will be a home fixture against Oxford City, who are third in the table, on December 26th. Fans can track the team's progress and upcoming matches on the club's fixtures page.
Brackley Town's immediate focus is solely on the task at Chorley, a team they have historically found difficult to separate from.
