Lancaster City host rivals Bamber Bridge in LFA Challenge Trophy quarter final

Lancaster City face Bamber Bridge in the quarter final of the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy

The Dolly Blues suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at the weekend to Hyde United in Chris Willcock’s first game as the new man in charge at The Giant Axe.

He described the game as “painful and difficult to watch at times”.

With it being a derby game in a competition that City have had recent success in - winning the 2019/20 edition of the trophy - Willcock and his team will be determined to get a result.

The two sides met on Boxing Day at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium, with Lancaster losing 2-1.

The Dolly Blues have beaten AFC Fylde and Prestwich Heys to progress to this stage. 

‘Brig’ advanced past Chorley and West Didsbury & Charlton in previous rounds.

City are seven-time winners of the trophy, while Bamber Bridge have won it once, in the 1994/95 campaign. 

Looking ahead to the clash, Willcock said: “I expect it to be a tough game, they’ve recently beat us, they’re an improving side after a difficult start to the season.

“They’ve got good quality and we’ll have to perform better than we did today [Saturday] to get anything out of the game," he said.

The other teams left in the competition are FC St Helens, Colne, Padiham, Longridge Town, Southport - the current holders - and Bacup Borough.

There are a couple more added incentives for fans to get down to The Giant Axe tonight.

Tickets for this game are at the reduced price of £10 for adults.

Tickets for concessions are £9, student tickets are £5, entry for ages 12 to 17 is £3 and under 12s go free.

Season ticket holders will receive a hot drink upon production of their season ticket.

Lancaster City v Bamber Bridge in the Lancashire FA Trophy Quarter Final kicks off at 7.45pm tonight (January 16) at The Giant Axe.

UPDATE: This game has been postponed due to a frozen pitch.