- League position: Bamber Bridge sit in the lower third of the Northern Premier League Premier Division on around 6pts from 7-8 games.
- League form: Trafford are inside the top five of the North West Counties Football League Premier Division on 12pts from 5 games.
- Odds: Bamber Bridge are the favourites to win at 1.62, but Trafford can cause an upset given their cup form.
The Brig aim to dominate the ball
Bamber Bridge boss Jamie Milligan sets his team up. The 4-2-3-1 system will see The Brig try to dictate the pace of the game at Irongate with a double-pivot and mobile No.10. The wing-backs will be able to overlap, but the structure should be maintained if they can dominate the middle areas.
The hosts are on a winless run in all competitions, including a 3-1 loss at Warrington Rylands, a 4-4 thriller at Hyde and a 4-1 hammering away at Leek Town. However, the signing of Tom Barkhuizen has raised the ceiling of the side and he scored on debut in that game against Hyde. He is the headline man and will have to be watched, but Jack Baxter also chips in and they should be able to cause problems even if the back four is getting turned over.
Archie Lang is a tricky player, but he provides the outlet and goal threat for the home side, and is a solid pick to hit the scoresheet.
Trafford are in red-hot cup form
This game could see two very different styles come together, Trafford boss Tom Baker is much more pragmatic than his opposite number and the form of his side recently shows just how much juice they have got out of his men. The visitors have won their last five, kept five clean sheets in a row and came through the FA Cup Preliminary Round with a 3-2 win away at Runcorn Linnets. Baker's side have a solid base at the back, they are compact and ruthless when they get forward.
Key players:
- Jensen Bowering provides a spark in terms of youthful energy and has the power to hurt a side like Bamber Bridge if he gets the ball in space, and Trafford will look to attack the hosts.
- Ryan Brooke is Trafford's reliable finisher, he got them on the scoresheet against Runcorn and is the one that can make things happen in the final third.
- David Worrall is an experienced man who can provide the end product, so The North have calmness at the top end, they do not need to be a possession-dominant side to score goals.
FA Cup games come in all shapes and sizes
We are expecting Trafford to be a match for Bamber Bridge, the head-to-head is not particularly deep, but Trafford won the last meeting in the 2019 FA Cup 3-0, while Brig won a replay in this competition at the turn of the millennium 2-1.
On paper, the home team should edge this one, but Trafford are on an incredible run and this looks set up for a real FA Cup game, where the lower-league side can nick it. A Bamber Bridge win to nil looks the best option here and a home win by a single goal is the pick of the score markets, but Trafford are right there in the game and could do enough to make it a very entertaining game.
