News from Deva Stadium November 2012

30 November 2012
CHAIRMAN TO STEP DOWN
Chris Pilsbury has announced he will step down from his role as chairman at the club but will remain on the board of directors. The news comes following last night's CFU Annual General Meeting in which five directors were voted onto the board by members. They were Steve Ashton 561 votes, Tony Durkin 507, Mark Howell 486, David Evans 460, Chris Pilsbury 414. The candidates who missed out were vice-chairman Mike Vickers, John Martin, Steve Povey and Pete Newman.

Pilsbury told the Chester Chronicle: “We’ve gone from 10 of us meeting in a pub on Watergate Street to winning two titles and being top of the league we’re currently in. It has been an enormous honour to be the club’s chairman but I think, now we’re coming to the next stage in the club’s development, it’s time for someone else, although I will be staying on as a board member. I think we’ve got a good chairman in waiting and that’s Steve Ashton. I appointed him as CEO and he’s a great bloke and an excellent administrator.”

HALF SEASON TICKETS
Chester will be selling half season tickets from Monday. The ticket will cover eleven matches starting with the Boxing Day game against Droylsden. The cost of tickets will be Under 16s: £15.00, Concessions: £85.00 and Adults £113.00. Should the home game against Oxford City on December 15 be rearranged for next year (due to Oxford’s possible FA Trophy progress) that match will not be included in the package.

28 November 2012
CHESTER EXTEND LEAD AT THE TOP

Chester moved four points clear at the top of the table after Dave Hankin scored a dramatic winner two minutes from time to seal a 2-1 victory over Corby Town.

Like Saturday, the Blues turned out an excellent first half performance though on this occasion only had a slender single Matty McGinn goal lead to show for their efforts. The Steelmen came more into the game after the break taking advantage of some poor defending and equalised through Liam Hughes on 70 minutes.

With four minutes remaining Corby were reduced to ten men after Carl Piergianni was given a second yellow card. The resulting free-kick from just outside the box was headed down by George Horan to Hankin who smashed the ball home from close range.

Manager Neil Young told the Chester Leader: “I said at half time that if we are going to concede then we have to be strong enough to get back on the horse and go riding again. I’m hoping the home win against Corby will give us a bit of a boost. I know everyone wants me to put Ben Mills on the pitch, but we have got some good players and the lads are doing well.”

“I know we conceded a goal against Corby, but that wasn’t because the centre forwards weren’t doing their jobs, it was because we switched off from a ball played in from a wide position. In a way I was glad that Corby score because it woke the crowd up, but it was great to see us dig in and see Dave Hankin pop up for our winner off a back post header from George.”

Chester are next in action on Saturday when they entertain fifth placed Worcester City, kick-off 15:00hrs.

• League table after the Corby match

Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

25 November 2012
BLUES COMPLETE DOUBLE
Chester completed the double over Histon with a 4-1 win at the Cambridgeshire side on Saturday. First half goals from George Horan, Nathan Jarman and two from Tony Gray gave Chester a convincing four goal half-time lead. John Danby had saved a first half penalty and pulled off a string of saves in the second period as the home side fought back well and created several chances of note to get back in the game but were restricted to just one goal from Shane Tolley.

The victory moved Chester ahead of Brackley Town to sit on top of the league with a game in hand over the Northamptonshire side who they face a week on Saturday. Before then the Blues entertain Corby Town on Wednesday night, kick-off 19:45hrs.

• League table after this match

23 November 2012
WELCOME BACK!

Chester have completed the permanent signing of 23-year-old Macclesfield Town striker Ben Mills, he’s expected to straight into the Blues squad at Histon tomorrow.

Mills became an instant hero at the start of the season having netted nine goals in just 5+3 matches on a loan spell from the Moss Rose side. Having agreed a five-figure fee with Macclesfield at the time the club had to abandon plans of signing the striker who wished to remain a full-time.

Mills had failed to break into the first team since his return to Macclesfield and manager Neil Young, who starts his full-time role at the club tomorrow, reopened negotiations this week and after turning down a possible move to Conference Premier side Southport signed for the Blues this morning, a move which has been helped by promises of donations from supporters.

Young said:“I’m delighted to finally sign Ben, he gives us extra options and of course his record at the club in his loan spell was excellent, and we’ll be looking for him to get back on the goals trail and enable us to kick on with our league challenge.”

Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

22 November 2012
LOAN DEFENDER SIGNED
Chester have signed Nathan Turner on loan from Leeds United until 2 January 2013. Turner has played regular football for the development squad at Leeds this season and their fixtures are put on hold during December. Turner is a defender/midfielder.

19 November 2012
MATCH BROUGHT FORWARD
Chester’s league match at Histon originally scheduled for February has now been brought forward to this Saturday, kick-off 15:00hrs.

CHESTER MOVE SECOND
Over 500 Chester supporters were at Cheltenham yesterday to see Nathan Jarman’s second half goal give the Blues a deserved victory and move them into second place behind leaders Brackley Town. The Blues created several first-half chances of note but were denied by a great performance from Mike Green in the home goal but he was eventually beaten by Jarman in the 65th minute as he converted from a deep cross by substitute Dave Hankin.

It was the perfect present for manager Neil Young who celebrated his 38th birthday and 100th game in charge of Chester and told the Chester Chronicle “We cut them open at times and they are a good side at home. The season starts now for us.”

• League table after this match

14 November 2012
EXILES NEWSLETTER
The November issue of the Exiles newsletter, which included meeting-up details for Sunday’s away game against Gloucester City (at Cheltenham Town) can be downloaded here.

12 November 2012
TROPHY DRAW
The winners of Wednesday night’s FA Trophy replay have been given a home tie against King’s Lynn Town on Saturday 24 November in the First Round Proper. King’s Lynn defeated Eastbourne Borough 3-0 on Saturday.

NEW CORBY DATE
The home match against Corby Town that was scheduled for this Wednesday, will now take place on Wednesday 28 November, kick-off 19:45hrs.

11 November 2012
BLUES THROW AWAY LEAD

The Blues let a two goal lead slip against Worksop Town in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy on Saturday. A brace of goals by Nathan Jarman in the opening 15 minutes gave Chester the perfect start to the match and they remained on top for the remainder of the opening period with Jarman going close to completing his hat-trick.

An uncharacteristic John Danby mistake allowed the visitors back into the game soon after the restart and from then on there was only one team likely to find the net again as Chester were unable to respond and continued to squander possession.

The inevitable equaliser came twelve minutes from time as Ash Burbeary scored from 18 yards. Antoni Sarcevic hit the bar before Owain Warlow missed a golden opportunity to complete the Worksop fightback in the dying minutes.

Manager Neil Young only had 14 first-teamers available due to injuries, though is hoping to have both Matty McGinn and Wes Baynes available for the replay on Wednesday night at Sandy Lane, kick-off 19:45hrs.

A disappointed Young said after the match: “We started well and got ourselves a 2-0 lead, but I thought we started to get a little bit sloppy during the last 15 minutes of the first half.”

“I knew what Worksop were about and I knew that they would come out fighting. They had a shot that just went wide of the post in the first minute of the second half, but we were very poor in the second half. There were no excuses and in the end we’re probably lucky still to be in the competition.”

• More pictures

Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

9 November 2012
CHESTER SIGN STRIKER ON LOAN
Chester have signed 23-year-old Rochdale striker Craig Curran on a five week loan, the player has previously played league football at Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United and Morecambe and will go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s home match against Worksop Town in the FA Trophy.

8 November 2012
CHESHIRE CUP WIN
Chester progressed through to the second round of the Cheshire Senior Cup competition following a 4-2 win at Cheadle Town. Poor defending led to the home side taking the lead in the 17th minutes but the Blues bounced back a couple of minutes later with Antoni Sarcevic getting a touch on a Danny Williams effort for the equaliser. A second from Sarcevic and a good Wes Baynes strike gave Chester a 3-1 lead. An own goal from Martin Fearon in the Blues goal brought Cheadle back into the game midway through the second period but Chester booked a second round home tie against Stockport Sports when Tony Gray notched his first goal for the club eleven minutes from time.

2 November 2012
NEW HARROGATE DATE
The home match against Harrogate Town, postponed this weekend, will now take place on Wednesday 19 December, kick-off 19:45hrs.

BOOTH JOINS MOTORMEN ON LOAN

In a bid to regain fitness after a long-term injury, midfielder Robbie Booth has joined Vauxhall Motors on a one month loan deal. Manager Neil Young confirmed: “Robbie is very much part of my future plans here at Chester, but we need to get him fit, and hopefully this move will allow him to do just that.”

Booth told the Chester Leader: “My chances to play at Chester this season have been restricted by a back injury and I have hardly played during the opening three months of the season.”

“I have been really struggling after experiencing a spasm in my back one day at work and that caused a problem with a sciatic nerve in my left leg. I do a lot of digging and landscape gardening and I think the cause of my back problem was from when I did a lot of heavy digging and lifting in pre-season.”

“I couldn’t bend or touch my toes because the pain was so bad, but I've been given a series of exercises to do to help the problem and I've been training with the Chester lads for the last two or three weeks. Because of the fixture schedule at Chester I haven’t really had a chance to get games under my belt, but I’m now hoping the loan spell at Vauxhall will provide an opportunity for me to play regularly and help get my fitness back.”

Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

TAYLOR JOINS AFC FYLDE

Following a loan spell at the Lancashire side, defender Michael Taylor has signed for AFC Fylde. Taylor was restricted to just one appearance for the Blues this season.

Taylor made 58+4 appearances for Chester, and scored two goals since making his debut in the 2-2 home draw with Warrington Town in January 2011.

Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

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