- Cleethorpes Town have won four of their last five competitive games, three with a clean sheet.
- Newcastle Town have lost three of their last five.
- Cleethorpes are the top dog in their division, Newcastle are in the lower mid-table zone in theirs.
Cleethorpes are the better bet on the double chance market
The odds available about Cleethorpes Town for the home win on Saturday look very attractive at first glance and they are the favourites for this FA Cup First Qualifying Round tussle. However, the fact that this game does not take place until the FA Cup qualification campaign of 2026 and the clubs have no competitive H2H history recorded, means this is basically a scratch match and the formbook doesn't really apply.
Cleethorpes are the favourites to win at 31/100, with Newcastle Town available at 143/20 and the draw at 22/5, so it's clear that the bookies are on the same page as us about the likely outcome of this one. Craig Rouse's side are a front-foot, tempo-based team who will try to stretch their opponents with width and pace and are the most likely to cause problems as a result.
Rouse has the Owls playing his sort of football immediately, which shouldn't be a surprise after he led Cleethorpes to promotion last season. Joe Ackroyd adds a bit of bite in the middle of the park and Dan Brammall, Joey Phuti and Devon Brockie add spark and verve up top.
Newcastle should be careful not to get dragged into a mismatch
Newcastle are the more direct, route-one type team so they will do well to get players on the ball in the right areas and their best chance of causing a stir lies in going long and making a real battle of second balls. It's a simple plan, but they will need to be disciplined and patient if they are not to be dragged into a game that suits their hosts' strengths.
Neil Baker's men have had a very mixed start to the season, with just one win, one draw and three defeats from their opening five matches in all competitions. Their backline has been leaking goals on the road, with Newcastle scoring in spells but not yet keeping it tight for 90 minutes.
That's not been a recipe for success and they currently sit in the lower mid-table region in the Northern Premier League Division One West, having taken four points from their first five matches. It's difficult to see Cleethorpes not winning this game, but we think that Newcastle will have a go and could grab a goal on the break, so Cleethorpes to win and both teams to score is the best fit in the markets.
