CHORLEY have the incentive of a glamour tie at home to 2013 League Cup finalists Bradford City if they can reach the first round of the FA Cup tonight.
Garry Flitcroft’s Magpies travel to Halifax Town for their fourth qualifying replay, after a 0-0 draw at Victory Park on Saturday, knowing that the prize is a lucrative match against League One opposition.
Chorley or Halifax were drawn at home to Bradford last night – a tie that could see Bantams boss Phil Parkinson return to the town where he was born.
Parkinson, who incredibly guided Bradford to the League Cup final and also to League Two play-off victory last year, was born in Chorley but moved south at a young age because of his father’s business commitments with a coach company.
First round ties take place between November 7 and 10, and a home clash with Bradford could even be a possibility for live screening on television, which would provide a real windfall.
But first Chorley have the tricky task of reaching the first round for the first time in 24 years by winning their replay against Halifax at The Shay tonight.
Magpies captain Andy Teague admitted Saturday’s initial match had been a tough affair.
“It was a hard-fought game,” he said. “We knew what we were expecting from Halifax. They’re a big, strong, organised team, a bit like ourselves, and it was always going to be one goal that decided it, but neither side could find it.”
Halifax are second in the Conference but Teague thinks that could play into the visitors’ hands as they look to reproduce the giant killing heroics of last season’s FA Trophy run.
“They will be even stronger favourites this time and the pressure will be on them,” he said. “So we can play with a bit of freedom and if we get something then happy days.
“We will try to do what we did on Saturday, and try to keep them out.
“We showed in the FA Trophy last year that we can compete against teams from the higher leagues and it will be another good test.”
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