Two
more loan players made their debuts for Chester as manager
Steve Burr made changes from the side that drew in midweek
wit Dover Athletic. In came Danny Hattersley and Ryan
Lloyd at the expense of Calum Dyson and Craig Mahon who
both started on the bench.
With new manager Neil Aspin watching on from the stands,
Gateshead found the net after only two minutes but debut
man Adam Wrightson’s header was ruled out by the
assistant referee for offside.
Ben
Heneghan made a timely tackle to deny Jon Shaw as Gateshead
enjoyed the majority of the early possession but it
was Chester who went closest to opening the scoring
as Tom Shaw saw an effort cleared off the line by Simon
Ramsden hit the post in the 19th minute, the loose ball
broke back to Shaw who saw his follow-up effort clip
the post.
Both sides wasted chances in the remainder
of the half, Gus Mafuta and Paddy McLaughlin for the
Heed and Ben Heneghan, John Rooney and Ross Hannah for
the Blues.
Gateshead pressed in the second half,
but it was Chester who missed the best chance on 75
minutes as Hattersley headed Jonny Hunt’s cross
straight into the arms of Sam Russell in the home goal
from just six yards out.
Eight minutes from time Heed scored
the decisive winning goal as Sheffield United loanee
CJ Hamilton crossed to Ryan Bowman whose effort deflected
off Alex Whitmore past Jon Worsnop for an own goal.
Ross
Hannah once again found himself on the scoresheet as Chester
came from a goal behind to grab a point against Dover
Athletic.
Luke George returned from injury and
there were first starts for loan players Calum Dyson
and Alex Whitmore as Chester looked to put Saturday's
disappointing home defeat by Woking behind them.
Craig Mahon sent an effort just wide and Tom Shaw almost
set up Hannah with a through ball but visiting ‘keeper
Andy Rafferty was quickly out to gather. A John Rooney
free-kick zipped just wide as Chester had the better
of the chances in the opening period.
The Whites took the lead in
the 37th minute with a spectacular goal as Stefan Payne
kicked it over his head on the right wing, Ricky Modeste
flicked it back and Ricky Miller volleyed home past
Jon Worsnop from the edge of the box.
Miller was through again minutes
later but Worsnop cleared the danger from the edge of
the area. Hannah dragged an effort wide four minutes
before the break when well placed but made no mistake
in added time when he scored from close range after
Whitmore had headed down a Rooney free-kick at the far
post.
Dover had the better of the openings
in the second half with goal scorer Miller in the thick
of the action. At the other end Shaw saw a powerful
25-yarder pushed away for a corner by Rafferty.
Miller forced a couple of saves from
Worsnop and James Grimes found the net with a with a
header from a corner but referee (and fourth official)
Justin Hayes, who had earlier replaced the injured Martin
Coy ruled the goal out for an infringement.
The final chance of the game fell
to Miller five minutes from time but Blues fans were
relieved to see his header from six yards out fly wide.
Manager
Steve Burr made two changes form the side that drew at
Boreham Wood last week. In came Jordan Chapell and Craig
Mahon at the expense of Luke George and Calum Dyson who
started on the bench.
Jon Worsnop
was in the action first after five minutes saving from
a John Goodard free kick before Tom Shaw replied for
Chester with a 25-yarder that Jake Cole in the visitors’
goal saved well.
The Cards took the lead on 15 minutes
as Joe Quigley met a high cross to send in an effort
on goal, Ian Sharps cleared off the line only to Dan
Holman who crashed home the loose ball.
James Roberts tested Cole with a low
shot that was parried away with the loose ball falling
to Ross Hannah who couldn’t convert the opportunity.
Ben Heneghan headed straight to Cole
before Chapell pulled another shot wide as Chester looked
for an equaliser.
A hamstring injury five minutes before
the break saw Roberts being replaced by Dyson. The last
chance of the half fell to Hannah whose snap shot was
well saved by Cole.
Worsnop was forced to turn a Matt
Robinson 25 yard shot wide and before Robinson volleyed
over the bar as Woking pressed at the start of the second
period.
Dyson came close to equalising when
he saw a header hit the crossbar and Hannah saw an effort
pushed round the post by Cole
Joe Quigley almost doubled the lead
before Goddard did find the net in the 90th minute,
tapping home a loose ball following good work from Jake
Caprice.
Hannah scored a consolation
goal deep into stoppage time heading home a Craig Hobson
cross.
My
hopes were not high for a day out at Borehamwood. Not
only have Chester failed to win at any away day around
the Home Counties so far this season, but it was one
of those rain-sodden days that made you wish Spring
was around the corner.
The signs were not good when I arrived
at Boreham Wood FC’s Meadow Park not long after
2pm to find the gates still closed to Chester fans and
we weren’t welcome in their bar either. So I opted
for a wet walk down the High Street to kill time before
kick-off.
On the positive side, I did meet lots
of fellow Exiles on my way. On the negative side, there
were so many of us (246 travelling fans) that when I
returned to the ground I faced a 20-minute queue to
get into the ground as only one turnstile had been opened.
It meant I missed the minute’s
silence for the Paris massacre victims, plus the match
kick-off, as well as Ross Hannah getting the ball in
the net in the opening minute – an attempt which
was declared offside.
Thankfully the heavily-stewarded Chester
fans had their own section of a smart stand to shelter
themselves from the rain as the actual match didn’t
do much to warm us up on this drab November afternoon.
Everton loanee Callum Dyson looked
a lively addition to the squad. He had Chester’s
best chance of the first half following a good cross
from James Roberts. But Wood goalkeeper Scott Doe made
a good save to deny the Blues a goal.
For the home side, Ricky Shakes somehow
missed two great chances before half-time whistle blew,
and that about summed up the first half's entertainment.
Chester had the best of the opening
spell of the second half, with the swirling wind leaving
Boreham Wood needing to clear a John Rooney corner off
the line. It did look to the noisy away following that
the Blues had a real chance of a result, and fresh legs
entered the field on the hour in the shape of Jordan
Chapell and Craig Mahon.
But they failed to make much of an
impact, and Chester had to call on goalkeeper Jon Worsnop
on a couple of occasions to make some relatively simple
saves. He was almost red-faced near the end of the game
when he fumbled a catch from a long-distance shot, but
he managed to keep it out of the net.
In the end, a 0-0 draw was probably
a fair result in the end, with the weather making conditions
difficult for both teams. But I can’t say I’ll
be looking forward to a return trip to Boreham Wood,
and have to admit I’m hoping they’ll only
have a one-season stay in the National League.
Tuesday
10 November Chester
3 Kidderminster Harriers 1
Football Conference Premier
Attendance: 1,956 Half Time 1-1
Booked: -.
Chester:
Worsnop, Higgins, Heneghan, Sharps, Hunt, George, Shaw,
Rooney (Hobson 87), Mahon (Chapell 71), Roberts (Dyson
74), Hannah. Subs not used: Forth, Kay.
Kidderminster Harriers: Snedker, Hodgkiss, Langmead,
Howkins, Young (McQuilkin 71), Whitfield, Fazlic, Jones
(Obusu 86), Francis-Angol, Barnes-Homer, Murphy (Singh
67). Subs not used: Rowe-Turner, Brown. Referee: Joseph Johnson (Liverpool).
Chester
had to come from behind to beat struggling Kidderminster
Harriers. The Blues, with Luke George back in midfield
started well and could have opened the scoring on 14
minutes as a fine save from Dean Snedker denied Ross
Hannah and Hannah again should really have scored after
Snedker had parried a Johnny Hunt strike with the Blues
striker shooting the loose ball over from eight yards.
The visitors, who have won only once
this season, took the lead seven minutes before the
break through Kelvin Langmead who converted past Jon
Worsnop after Matthew Barnes-Homer had pulled back a
far post cross.
The lead lasted only two minutes as
Hannah found the net sweeping home a James Roberts cross
to send the sides in level at the break.
Thirty seconds after the re-start
John Rooney gave the Blues the lead scoring from inside
the box following a Hannah pass. Jordan Chapell fired
well over as Chester looked to extend their advantage.
Chester wrapped the points up seven
minutes from time as hannah pounced on a loose ball
to score after Snedker had saved a Rooney effort.
Four
goals for Craig Hobson as Chester run out comfortable
winners in their opening Senior Cup outing. George Thomson
opened the scoring in the sixth minute, before the midfielder
set up Tom Peers for the second goal ten minutes later.
Winsford produced an instant reply as Kyle Riley slotted
the ball past Dylan Forth making his debut in goal.
Hobson restored the two goal lead moments later converting
a Kane Richards cross.
Richards and Sam Hughes found the
scoresheet to give the Blues a5-2 lead in the opening
half hour. Ben Heneghan added a sixth ten minutes before
the break with Peers and Hobson both finding the net
again to give Chester a remarkable 8-1 half-time lead.
Hobson headed Thomson’s free
kick home in the 69th minute to make it 9-1 before the
striker completed the scoring with his fourth goal,
and Chester’s tenth, in the final minute.
AWAY TIE FOR REPLAY WINNERS Should Chester win their replay, they have been handed an away tie in the Fourth Round Qualifying of the FA Cup at Scarborough Athletic.