|
|
Hanley
Town (A) | Buckley
Town (A) | Bolton
Wanderers (H) | Stockport
County (H) | Ashton
Athletic (A) | Wythenshawe
Town (A) | Bala
Town (A) | Marine (A)
Saturday
29 July
Marine 0 Chester 2
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 729 Half Time: 0-1
Marine: Trialist A, Ferguson, Carberry,
Nolan, Spittle (Trialist B 64), Wardle, Lussey, White,
Osei, Russ, Mampala. Subs not used: Sinclair-Smith, Hayde,
Robinson, Doyle.
Chester: Stanway, Coates (Bott 88), Edwards (Daly
76), Heywood, Taylor (Earl 46), Burke, Weeks, Whitehouse,
Murray, Hall (Trialist 46), Caton (Goodson 73).
Chester wrap up their pre-season with a win at Marine
thanks to goals either side of the break by Elliott Whitehouse
and an Trialist.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Match photographs
Tuesday
25 July
Bala Town 1 Chester 0
Pre-season friendly (Kieran Smith
Testimonial Match)
Attendance: TBA Half Time: 0-0
Bala Town: Absalom, Shannon, Arsan, Harison,
Trialist A, Smith, Burke, Lingouba, Abadaki, Newell, Trialist
B. Subs: Trialist C, White, Trialist D, Edwards, Roberts,
Malkin, Trialist E.
Chester: Stanway, Coates (Thomas 46), Williams,
Edwards (Burke 64), Heywood, Taylor, Trialist (Caton 46),
Weeks, Earl (Daly 46), Murray, Hall. Subs not used: Bott.
Chester are beaten in their latest friendly as a goal
two minutes from time by Trialist E gives victory to the
Lakesiders.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Match
photographs
Saturday
22 July
Wythenshawe Town 1 Chester 1
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: TBA Half Time: 0-1
Wythenshawe Town: Hall, Kesete, Perry,
Jeanne, Omorogbe, Osigwe, German, Nock, Correia, Byrnes,
Trialist. Subs: Aikenhead, Liptrott, Worrall, Vargas,
Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist.
Chester: Stanway, Coates, Edwards, Burke, Taylor,
Trialist (Earl 60), Weeks, Murray (Daly 71), Whitehouse,
Goodson, Caton. Subs not used: Williams, Rosenblatt.
Charlie Caton opens the scoring in the first half for
Chester with Wythenshawe drawing level through a Louis
Jeanne header from a corner on the hour mark.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Match
photographs
Friday
21 July
Ashton Athletic 0 Chester 7
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: TBA Half Time: 0-3
Chester: Beswick, Thomas, Forde (Trialist
F 86), Heywood, Trialist A, Bott (Butler 70), Trialist
B, Trialist C, Daly (Trialist E 46), Trialist D (Boon
85), Hall.
A comfortable win for a Blues side made up of first teamers,
academy players and five trialist’s.
Tuesday
18 July
Chester 2 Stockport County 3
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 957 (220 Stockport) Half Time: 1-2
Chester: Stanway, Thomas (Coates 63),
Williams, Burke, Heywood (Daly 63), Taylor, Goodson (Trialist
A 63), Weeks (Bott 77), Whitehouse (Hall 63), Murray,
Caton (Trialist B 63).
Stockport County (first hour): Smith
(Trialist, 46), Knoyle, Byrne, Pye, Southam-Hales (Trialist,
46), Camps, Sarcevic (Mee, 46), Touray, Evans, Olaofe,
Powell.
Stockport County (last half hour): Trialist,
Wright, Horsfall, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Croasdale,
Mee, Rydel, Madden, Crankshaw.
Chester
hosted Stockport in the latest pre-season friendly. County
were the first ever visitors to the Deva Stadium thirty-one
years ago. Both sides have enjoyed mixed fortunes since
that League Cup encounter. The visitors languished at
NLN level for some years but have just completed a first
season back in the Football League, very nearly achieving
back-to-back promotions and look set to have another tilt
at going up this time. They brought with them former City
players Ibou Touray and Antoni Sarcevic the latter earning
near legendary status for his role in helping Chester
win the NLN ten years ago.
Blues had the first shot of the match as the ball fell
to Weeks on the edge of the area but his shot was wayward.
Then within a minute they were behind as Touray’s
cross was part-cleared by Burke but picked up by Connor
Evans. His low shot was deflected in off Whitehouse’s
attempted block. City were level shortly after when Weeks
picked up a pocket of space centrally and rode a couple
of tackles to find Caton running through the middle. His
shot was partially stopped by Smith but had enough momentum
to cross the line into the goal.
County pressed high and were quick to close City down,
especially when they tried to play out from the back.
Chester, playing with a back three and five across the
midfield sought to get the ball forward quickly –
helped by Stanways’s excellent distribution. After
some crisp approach play Thomas’s cross from the
right was headed over by Caton. Then Taylor’s cross
from the left was flicked off Caton’s head by Smith.
As half time approached Stockport took the lead for the
second time thanks to a sublime effort by Sarcevic. He
ran on to a long punt into the box, flicked it up with
the outside of his right boot and, without breaking stride,
volleyed delicately over Stanway and into the net. The
whole of the Harry Mac applauded as Sarce modestly acknowledged
the acclaim.
The visitors made three changes at the break but maintained
their forward momentum. Experienced new signing Nick Powell
finished his run with a fierce shot that Stanway tipped
away at full stretch. Then they made wholesale changes
on the hour mark as the remaining eight players were also
replaced. City made five changes at the same time and
reverted to a back four. Pretty soon Paddy Madden had
whipped in a third goal for County.
With fifteen minutes to go Chester were awarded a penalty
when Murray was clipped in the box after winning the ball
back. Weeks despatched the kick to reduce the arrears.
That proved to be the end of the scoring but once again
City had given a good account of themselves against very
well organised and accomplished opposition.
Colin Mansley
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Match
photographs
Saturday
15 July Chester 1
Bolton Wanderers 1
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 1,419 Half Time: 1-1
Chester: Stanway, Coates (Forde 85),
Williams, Edwards (Burke 46), Taylor (Heywood 46), Whitehouse,
Weeks (Trialist B 62), Daly (Bott 75), Goodson (Murray
46), Hall (Thomas 46), Trialist A (Caton 46).
Bolton Wanderers: Coleman, Jones (Sadlier
46), Forrester (Conway 46), Iredale, Thomason (Khumbeni
66); Dacres-Cogley, Dempsey (Sheehan 46), Morley (Tweedley
66), Williams (John 46), Nlundulu (Jerome 46), Bodvarsson
(Adeboyejo 46).
A
showery St Swithun’s Day presages forty days more
of unsettled weather, traditionally. What do football
fans think that pre-season friendlies say about the campaign
to come? Some argue that the results of these games are
inversely proportional to how the team will do. But it
is hard to resist the urge to compete – whatever
the level of match.
A squally shower drove fans back towards the back of the
Harry Mac and Talbot stands. A clutch of Exiles reminisced
about watching the Blues one Tuesday evening in 1990 at
Ashton Gate when the rain did not cease falling on the
open terrace for ninety minutes.
Now the rain abated and the teams emerged – the
visitors in their traditional colours, warmly supported
by their fans in the West stand – Chester in their
smart new home shirts without, as yet, any numbers. It
made it difficult early on to distinguish between Zack
Goodson in midfield and Trialist A up-front with Hall.
Bolton settled into their rhythm first and moved the ball
about quickly in front of City’s defence. When the
Blues tried to play out from the back, Wanderers closed
down firmly. As a result the majority of chances fell
to the Trotters in the first half. Dempsey headed wide,
Dacres-Cogley shot narrowly wide and Morley’s shot
thumped against the post. The Blues defended stoutly and
resolutely, with Stanway called in to make several last
ditch saves. But Bolton kept the pressure on with several
corners and then took the lead when a cross from the left
was retrieved by Dacres-Cogley who set up Thomason to
fire in the opening goal.
City’s attacking play had been limited up to now
but they responded well. Daly’s pass set up a shooting
opportunity for Trailist A but his effort was just wide.
Then, on the stroke of half time, Weeks played a free
kick short to Taylor who curled a fabulous shot into the
top corner from twenty five yards.
Both sides made changes at the break with the match continuing
to be evenly contested, albeit Bolton had more chances
to score, ironically, City came the closest when Caton’s
cross shot cannoned off the angle of post and bar. All
in all the two teams entertained hugely and if the result
means anything, it was a respectable outcome for the Blues.
Colin Mansley
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Match
photographs
Wednesday
12 July Buckley Town
0 Chester 2 Pre-season
friendly
Attendance: 500+ Half Time: 0-2
Chester (first half): Beswick, Forde,
Bott, Heywood, Roberts, Trialist, Daly, Platt, Butler,
Boon, Clarke.
Chester (second half): -.
First half goals from Luca
Boon and Ollie Heywood bring victory at Buckley Town.
Saturday
8 July
Hanley Town 0 Chester 2
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 376 Half Time: 0-0
Chester (first half): Stanway, Coates,
Burke, Trialist A, Heywood, Day, Bott, Whitehouse, Murray,
Thomas, Goodson.
Chester (second half): Stanway, Forde,
Edwards, Heywood, Taylor, Daly, Bott, Trialist B, Weeks,
Murray, Caton.
Second half goals from Charlie
Caton and academy midfielder Adam Bott gave Chester a
winning start to their pre-season campaign at Hanley Town.
Trialist A proved to be defender Nathan Woodthorpre who
signed a one year contract with Chester a few days later.
Picture
© Chas Sumner
Match
photographs
|
|
| | | |
|
LATEST
NEWS |
GAME OFF The away match at Leamington on Tuesday has been postponed. |
more
» |
|
LAST
MATCH |
LATE BURKE GOAL SAVES BLUES A late Harrison Burke equaliser rescues a point for Chester at Warrington. |
more
» |
|
|
CLUB
HISTORY |
Everything you need to know about the club’s history, honours, records and kits. Complete list of fixtures from 1885 and much more. |
more
» |
|
SUPPORTERS |
EXILES BLOG
The Exiles have set up a blog to provide away match information and articles for Blues fans living away from Chester. You can read it here |
Exiles
» | ISA
» |
|
|
|