National League North
Attendance: 2,164 (169 Chorley) Half-time 1-1
Booked: .

Chester: Murray-Jones, Kelly-Evans, Woodthorpe, Weeks, Leak, Peers, Murray, Shrimpton, Woods (Mottley-Henry 82), P.Jones, Arthur. Subs not used: Davies, S.Burgess, Croker, Leigh, I.Burgess, F.Roberts.
Chorley: Urwin, Henley (Blakeman 90+2), Ellis, S.Wilson, Calveley, Clarke (Griffiths 87), Walker (O’Kane 69), Lalkovic, M.Wilson, Ibbitson (Moore 74), Popoola (Carr 46). Subs not used: Smith, Nolan.
Referee: Luis Griffiths.

An entertaining and often absorbing game ended in frustration for Chester as Chorley grabbed a late equaliser through a calamitous goalkeeping error.

George Murray-Jones – who had an otherwise good game – went up to meet a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time and inadvertently punched the ball into his own net. The unfortunate accident took the gloss off the finish as far as the home fans were concerned but it was difficult not to feel sorry for him too.

City must have felt they had won the game when Deon Kelly-Evans bundled Jones’ probing cross over the line with nine minutes remaining. It was the third time they had taken the lead. The first had been when a perceptive through ball from Weeks set Jones away pn half an hour, His shot cannoned back of the post and hit keeper Unwin to bounce back into the net.

The visitors equalised just before half time when Anjola Popoola got the wrong side of Arthur to glance Calveley’s cross from the right into the net. The goalscorer did not return after the break having suffered a rib injury in the first period.

Both sides looked to forge ahead after half time. Woods’ effort hit the side netting and Peers could not get good connection from Jones’ cross. In the meantime Ibbitson missed two gilt-edged chances for the Magpies – blazing over the bar after good play from Lalkovic and then found off balance when trying to turn the ball in after Murray-Jones had saved from Tom Carr.

Blues regained the advantage through a magnificent goal from captain Weeks. A headed clearance reached him in the corner of the penalty area and Declan – making his 240th appearance for the club – volleyed home into the far corner.

With a quarter of an hour to go Chorley levelled for a second time – Calveley stealing in to meet Moore’s teasing cross with a spectacular diving header.

Then came Deon Kelly-Evans’ first goal for City and it seemed like they may be heading for a much needed three points. After Chorley’s stoppage time goal there were still enough minutes left for Chester to launch another attack. Tom Peers looped a glorious dipping half volley into the top corner of the net. It made for a superb winner - but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.

In the end both teams had to settle for a point apiece and remaining level with each other in mid-table – having both competed strongly. Compilers of quiz questions were rushed to find out when was the last time that both goalkeepers were credited with own goals in the same match? (Reading v Swindon in 1982 apparently).

Like the weekend before, Chester will have come away from this match wondering how they didn't manager to get a share of the points, having created several chances of note but once again firing blanks up front.

With the Seadogs’ home pitch being relayed this year, all their home matches are taking place at Bridlington Town FC, where the pitch on this occasion was hard and bobbly. The Blues gave a debut to forward Zak Emmerson, signed on loan form FC Halifax Town yesterday.

Chester enjoyed plenty of the possession in the opening half but failed to really test Ryan Whitley in the home goal. Dylan Mottley-Henry saw an effort blocked by Will Thornton, Fin Shrimpton saw a flick header saved by Whitley.

The Blues were forced to withdraw Emmerson who appeared to injure a hamstring six minutes before the break.

At the other end Festus Arthur dived in to block an on target effort from Kieran Weledji before the Blues upped the pressure towards the end of the half as Pat Jones, a danger all half, curled a shot inches wide, before Nathan Woodthorpe saw a long looping free kick hit the top of the crossbar.

Typical those missed efforts were to get punished three minutes into the second half at Boro opened the scoring. Jack Waldron's throw in found Richie Bennett, he flicked the ball on into the area and Weledji turned it in at the near post past George Murray-Jones.

Connor Woods forced a superb save from Whitley, moments later he made another fine save to deny substitute Declan Weeks. Jones and Woodthorpe both saw efforts go close in the dying minutes. The final action saw Murray-Jones save from Harry Green to keep the score at 0-1.

• League table after Scarborough defeat

National League North
Attendance: 2,257 (87 Worksop Town) Half-time 0-1
Booked: Kelly-Evans.

Chester: Murray-Jones, Kelly-Evans (Peers 66), Woodthorpe, Weeks, Leak, Bainbridge, Mottley-Henry, Shrimpton, Leigh (S.Burgess 66), P.Jones, Arthur. Subs not used: Barlow, Shorrock, I.Burgess.
Worksop Town: Forshaw, Grist (Atherton 55), Leesley, Redford, Starcenko, Marin, O’Malley, Burrow (Wedgbury 81), Whitham (Woods 60), Sanders, Waterfall. Subs not used: Bencherif, Gooda, Fadera, Tomlinson.
Referee: Ben Wyatt.

The first game of the New Year proved to be a hugely frustrating occasion as Chester failed to convert a hatful of chances into goals and went down to defeat against Worksop.

After a scrappy first half an hour the game suddenly produced some chances at either end. Aaron Martin hit the outside of the post with a crisp shot from the edge of the box at the Harry Mac End. Then City went towards the South Stand and couldn’t get the ball over the line despite three presentable opportunities in quick succession. First Mottley-Henry’s shot was blocked in front of goal; then Bainbridge headed against the crossbar and finally Mottley-Henry’s follow up shot was cleared off the line.

Chester were to pay almost immediately for these misses wen Witham dispossessed Woodthorpe and broke down the right. His whipped cross found City on the back foot and Martin met it emphatically to bullet his header into the back of the net. The Blues tried to respond, their best effort before the break came when Jones cut in from the left and saw his shot to the far corner saved spectacularly by Forshaw who palmed it away at full stretch for a corner.

Despite the visitors’ determination to hold on to the lead, Pat Jones managed to get behind their defence to the by-line on five or six occasions. He cut the ball back, he chipped to the far post but could not find a Chester player to find the definite touch. Bainbridge rushed in to knock the ball towards goal but again Forshaw was in the way. Peers was introduced into the attack – Kelly-Evans sacrificed to lend more weight to the attack. He span to shoot just wide of the far post and, agonisingly in the final minute, flicked a cross virtually along the line and narrowly past the post again.

As the game wore on without an equaliser the atmosphere became more fraught. It was for no lack of effort that City went down to defeat but lacked the composure and the predatory finishing to make their dominance count. Once again they were somewhat weakened by injuries and illness – Murray who did so well on Tuesday being the latest to succumb to the flu which has ravaged the squad.

It means that the season is still spluttering and misfiring with City stuck in mid-table but tantalisingly few points short of the play-off positions.