PREVIEW: Tuesday night's football games

Five of our teams will be in action, in both the league and FA Cup preliminary round replays.

It’s another busy night of football across Glossop and Tameside as five of our teams play their first fixtures of September.

Glossop North End, Mossley and Stalybridge Celtic are all aiming to reach the first qualifying round of the FA Cup by getting through preliminary round replays.

Meanwhile, Hyde United and Droylsden are both in league action in the Northern Premier Division and North West Division respectively.

We take a closer look at each fixture…

GLOSSOP NORTH END v Eccleshill United

The Hillmen will be hoping to get past their Northern Counties East Football League Division One opponents at the second attempt when the Eagles visit the Amdec Forklift Stadium.

The sides couldn’t be separated in the initial tie on 24 August, when Will Holt’s early goal was cancelled out by Kesi Omolokun in the second half at Plumpton Park.

Glossop are winless in their last three games, since a 2-0 win at Newcastle Town on 20 August.

The winners of tonight’s tie will face either Hebburn Town or Pontefract Collieries on Saturday, with those teams going head to head in their replay tonight.

MOSSLEY v Widnes

The Lilywhites will be confident heading into this one, after Saturday’s thumping 5-0 victory over Kendal Town, which lifted them up to sixth in the North West Division table.

Striker Adam Morgan opened his account for the club with a second-half hat-trick at the weekend. The former Liverpool frontman knows all about the FA Cup too, having netted a famous hat-trick for Curzon Ashton against AFC Wimbledon in front of the BT Sport cameras in the second round of the competition in 2016.  

Their league rivals Widnes, who are currently 12th in the table with five points from their opening four league games, are bidding to reach the first qualifying round for the first time in their history.

They came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the initial tie to earn this replay at Seel Park.

The winners will host Northern Premier Division high-fliers Whitby Town on Saturday.

West Didsbury & Chorlton v STALYBRIDGE CELTIC

Since their 1-0 defeat at Mickleover Sports on the opening day, Celtic have enjoyed a four-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Arguably the most disappointing result during that time was the goalless draw at home in the original preliminary round tie against Brad Cooke’s West side, who produced a resilient defensive display to keep out Celtic.

Simon Haworth’s men head to Brookburn Road in Chorlton looking to book a first qualifying round tie against either Padiham or Marine at home on Saturday.

Ninth-tier West, bidding to reach the next round of the competition for the first time, weren’t in action last weekend but Stalybridge played out a goalless draw at Buxton, in which Craig Hobson was sent off.

It left Celtic in ninth position in the Northern Premier Division with seven points from their opening four league games.

There will be extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes. Winning clubs will receive £4,500 from The Football Association’s prize fund, while losing clubs will collect £1,500.

Witton Albion v HYDE UNITED

The Tigers head to Northwich in good fettle, hoping to claim a fifth straight win in all competitions.

Since their 3-2 defeat at home to Basford on the opening day, Dave McGurk’s side have won their subsequent four games and thumped Stafford Rangers 4-0 at Ewen Fields at the weekend.

They sit second in the table, just a solitary point behind leaders Matlock Town, in the Northern Premier Division and face league rivals Witton, who are languishing in 14th with five points from their four games so far.

Three points at Wincham Park could take the Tigers top of the table, depending on the result of Matlock’s home match against 10th-placed Grantham Town.

Witton, however, have taken excellent points from two difficult away games at Whitby Town and Scarborough Athletic respectively and have won their only home game so far – a 1-0 victory over Mickleover Sports.

Last season’s meetings were tight affairs too – it finished 1-1 at Wincham Park before a goalless draw at Ewen Fields later in the campaign.

DROYLSDEN v Prescot Cables

The Bloods have begun to pick up form after a mixed start to the campaign as they seek a third straight win in the North West Division.

Dave Pace’s side are 10th in the table with seven points from four games after beating local rivals Mossley 2-1 at home and winning 1-0 at Brighouse last weekend, even after Liam Caddick was sent off in the second half.

Like Hyde, they will be up against a team sitting 14th in the table in Prescot, who have five points so far and have won one and lost one from their first two away games of the campaign.

The Merseyside outfit come into tonight’s clash on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Tadcaster Albion, in which star man James Edgar scored for the fourth successive game.

Prescot came away with a 3-2 victory on their last visit to the Butchers Arms, on the final day last term.

TONIGHT’S FIXTURES AT A GLANCE:

FA Cup preliminary round replays

GLOSSOP NORTH END v Eccleshill United
MOSSLEY v Widnes
West Didsbury & Chorlton v STALYBRIDGE CELTIC

Northern Premier Division

Witton Albion v HYDE UNITED

North West Division

DROYLSDEN v Prescot Cables

All matches kick off at 19:45 BST.

Main image by Steve Dyson