Semi-final spot at stake when Central visit Denton

Manchester Central will look for consecutive Manchester FA Challenge Trophy Semi-Final appearances when they take on Denton Town on Saturday.

Both sides advanced to the Quarter-Finals after wins at the end of September. Central’s 2-1 win over Premier Division side Manchester Gregorians was enough to see them through thanks to a Dimitri Kemayou brace.

The first-round win at the time signalled consecutive victories for the first time this season for Central, though after playing six uninterrupted home games they will make the trip to Whittles Park at the weekend.

Denton Town meanwhile had an enjoyable afternoon in their first-round clash. A 9-1 rout at Lancashire & Cheshire Premier Division side Abacus Media saw Denton stroll into the Quarter-Final where they will face last season’s runners up.

They had eight different goal scorers in the tie with Joshua Rushby the only one to grab a brace, whilst Chris Tomkinson and his Central side will hope to provide a much tougher challenge when they come to town.

Denton have experienced an inconsistent campaign so far in the Premier Division of the Cheshire Football League, though despite this a recent upturn in form has seen them draw level with Eagle Sports who sit in the final playoff spot.

An important 2-0 win at Thornton Road over Eagle Sports saw Denton continue their positive change in form over the last month. The win was a third successive league victory and their fourth in all competitions.

Ross Heywood’s dismissal inside the opening 20 minutes put the visitors on the back foot but it didn’t deter Denton from picking up an impressive victory. Joshua Rugby netted his fifth of the season to give his side a narrow lead at half-time.

Matthew Soares secured the points with the second goal to round off an excellent display in which Denton secured a clean sheet with ten men for the best part of 70 minutes, which was their first away from home this season.

Denton have particularly impressed at home this campaign. Four wins in their five played at Whittles Park this season ranks among the best in their division, meaning they may favour the contest with Central who have struggled this season on the road.

Chris Tomkinson’s men meanwhile have had an extended rest period after with no fixtures scheduled last weekend, meaning Central’s last fixture saw them concede their second Division One defeat to Avenue this season by the same 4-2 scoreline that played out on the opening day of the campaign.

An own goal saw Central equalise after the visitors had gone ahead before Avenue scored three unanswered strikes to put the game out of reach at Seashell Trust. Lamin Jammeh netted his second goal of the season late on, but his strike only proved to be a consolation.

Central meanwhile will make their fourth trip of the season at the weekend. It will be their first in seven fixtures after six consecutive home games, whilst Central have struggled for form on the road this season having failed to pick up a point.

It’s a record Tomkinson will want his side to improve on starting against Denton, though Central had success away from home in the final stages of this competition last season.

A dramatic win on penalties in last season’s Quarter-Final tie with now fellow Division One side Heywood St James was followed by an emphatic 5-1 win at Heyside in the semi-final that sent Central through to the final.

Their journey last season may provide inspiration for a side who have shown promise this campaign but are yet to click into gear, though a win this weekend could prove to be a catalyst ahead of a busy period before the winter break.

It anticipates to be an evenly fought contest between two teams gunning for that trophy, one side who will be looking to go one step closer to a final whilst Central will want another shot at their first piece of silverware since 2018.

Kick-off is at 14:00pm on Saturday 21 October. The referee will be Gary Sweeney.