Match reports from April 2026

Monday 6 April
Macclesfield 0 Chester 2
National League North
Attendance: 4,474 (872 Chester) Half-time 0-1
Booked: F.Roberts, T.Davies

Macclesfield: Ravenhill, Matheson, Dawson, Duffy, Heathcote (Menayese 46), Lacey (Pasiek 46), Gale (Buckley-Ricketts 65), Osborne (Chapman 83), Kay, Edmondson, Borthwick-Jackson (Popoola 46). Subs not used: Fensome, McHugh.
Chester: B.Jones, Woodthorpe, Weeks, T.Davies, Mottley-Henry (Peers 71), Kelly, Shrimpton (Bainbridge 71), Leigh, Carson, S.Burgess (F.Roberts 55), Croker. Subs not used: B.Davies, Leak, Woods, Rosenblatt.
Referee: Joe Moss.

Chester complete the double over Macc with a superb win at Moss Rose.

• League table after Macclesfield victory

Friday 3 April
Chester 2 AFC Telford United 1
National League North
Attendance: 2,935 (582 Telford) Half-time 0-0
Booked: Mottley-Henry, T.Davies.

Chester: B.Jones, Woodthorpe, Weeks, T.Davies, Mottley-Henry, Kelly, Shrimpton, Leigh, Carson (Woods 60), S.Burgess (F.Roberts 77), Croker. Subs not used: B.Davies, Leak, Peers, Bainbridge, Rosenblatt.
AFC Telford United: Gracey, Cranston (George 77), Piggott, Fletcher, Stenson (Lawal 90+1), Meadows, Allen-Hadley, Badres, Leshabela, Walker, Dyer. Subs not used: Pendley, Mitchell, Ikpakwu, Hilton, Armson.
Referee: Lewis. B. Smith.

A highly entertaining clash with fellow play-off hopefuls Telford resulted in a narrow win for the Blues.

All three goals came from corner kicks and Chester players scored all three of them. At half time however the game was goal-less after both sides probed and parried looking for an opening. The visitors threatened on either flank with Cranston on the left and Hadley on the right looking especially dangerous. Top scorer Matty Stenson was back to lead their line after a few matches absence through injury. He put himself about so much to begin with that the referee had to reprimand him after he clashed with a City defender.

Chester were combative in midfield – it was clear that both teams saw a win today as imperative to keep outside promotion hopes alive. Hayden Carson picked up a loose ball and drove forward with some fancy footwork but was caught out of position when the Bucks regained possession and broke forward. Jones had to be alert to save at the feet of Stenson.

Leigh was lively and inventive in the middle and saw a shot deflected wide for a corner. It was from two such in-swingers from Kelly that Dylan Mottley-Henry went closest to giving Chester the lead. Both headed efforts were held by Gracey in the Telford goal.

City applied more pressure on the Bucks defence after the interval and after forcing a corner on the right they took the lead. Woods’ kick found an unmarked Croker who headed forward to find Mottley-Henry. The Blues’ number eleven chested the ball down then lashed it into the roof of the net for a superb finish.

The lead was short-lived however as Telford also forced a corner as they kicked with the swirling wind behind them. The in-swinging delivery from the left was inadvertently glanced in at the far post by an unfortunate Declan Weeks. Blues heads dropped for a little while but they found the resolve to come back looking for a winner. From another right wing corner Croker again found himself free and this time directed his header perfectly just inside the foot of the far post. Another classic finish. Fin Roberts might have added another shortly afterwards when he charged down a clearance and ran at goal. A last ditch block by Piggott prevented him scoring and then as the ball came back to Roberts he rolled the ball right across goal from the narrowest of angles and it bobbled agonisingly past the far post.

The cushion of a third goal would have made the last few minutes and stoppage time more comfortable for the Blues as Telford threw every effort at an equaliser. They were further hampered when Dyer was shown a red card after shoving Woodthorpe to the ground. Hadley ended a mazy run with a shot on target but without the power or accuracy to beat Jones. Then with the last kick of the game Walker fired a free kick over the bar and the referee blew his whistle to close the contest. Another valuable three points accrued as City leapfrogged Telford in the table.

Colin Mansley

• League table after Telford victory

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