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Stockport
County (H) | Stoke
City (H) | FC
Isle of Man (A) | Lancaster
City (A) | Manchester
United X1 (H) | Altrincham
(H) | Macclesfield (A)
Saturday
3 August
Macclesfield 0 Chester 1
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: TBC Half Time: 0-0
Booked: .
Macclesfield: Dearnley, Pemberton (Fensome
88), Kengni, Whitehead, Mendy, Dawson (Holding 63), Johnson,
Whitehouse, Elliott (Clare 72), Rooney, Duffy (Curran
46). Subs not used: Scott, Yusuff, Heathcote.
Chester:
Mason, Roberts (Williams 55), Pollock, Rawlinson (Weeks
69), Burke, Bainbridge, Hancox, Murray (Hunter 55), Glendon,
Peers (Caton 55), Willoughby (Turner 69).
Chester wrap up their pre-season
with a win at Macclesfield thanks to a last minute Harrison
Burke goal.
Saturday
27 July
Chester 1 Altrincham 0
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 926 Half Time: 0-0
Booked: Woodthorpe.
Chester: Mason, Hunter (Roberts 60),
Williams, Hancox, Willoughby (Glendon 60), Caton (Rosenblatt
80), Turner, Woodthorpe (Heywood 72), Pollock, Bainbridge,
Murray (Weeks 60). Subs not used: Brown, Daly.
Altrincham:
Ross (Trialist 20, 84), Banks (Golden 72), E.Jones (Trialist
22, 72), J.Jones (Bailey 72), Cooper, Osborne (German
72), Newby (Haygarth 72), Wilson (Kosylo 72), Crawford,
Amaluzor (Weave, 60), Nuttall (Trialist 20, 60).
Chester complete their home
pe-season matches with victory over National League side
Altrincham thanks to a second half Nathan Woodthorpe goal.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Wednesday
24 July Chester 1
Manchester United X1 3
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 2,154 Half Time: 1-2
Chester: Mason, Hunter (Bott 87), Weeks
(Roberts 60), Rawlinson (Heywood 70), Williams, Peers
(Turner 46), Caton (Rosenblatt 70), Hancox (Bainbridge
46), Woodthorpe, Pollock (Daly 60), Murray.
Manchester United
X1: Harrison, McAllister, Aljofree, Fredricson,
Nolan, Fletcher, Rowe, Thwaites, Sharpe, Williams, Biancheri.
Subs: Myles, Jackson, Kamason, Kingdon, Armer, Fitzgerald,
Baumann, Devaney.
After
some one-sided friendlies, this was an entertaining end-to-end
affair. United opened the scoring on five minutes when
Connell Rawlinson’s clearance was charged down and
the ball fell to Gabe Biancheri who tucked it away from
six yards out. Chester were soon level when Peers swivelled
to crash Rawlinson’s knock down into the roof of
the net.
Both teams moved the ball around quickly and fought for
possession without being overly physical. The speed of
thought and movement shown by the young visitors was impressive
but Chester, fielding a fairly strong side created the
better chances. Hancox flashed a shot across goal then
later swept a direct free kick narrowly wide. Peers might
have added a second but for Harrison’s block in
goal. But it was clinical finishing from Biancheri again
which gave United a half time lead. A tantalising forward
pass from the left back curled in to his run, Biancheri
took it in his stride and rounded Mason before scoring
from an acute angle.
Chester led a spirited assault at United’s goal
and won a flurry of corners. Williams’ Header from
Bainbridge’s cross was superbly pushed on to the
bar by the United keeper. Hunter found space down the
right to cross dangerously on a couple of occasions and,
as the match wore on, the ball came out to him again.
This time he went for goal himself and crashed it against
the bar.
With five minutes to go James Bailey capitalised after
Kev Roberts’ slip to shoot past Mason for a third
United goal. The result could easily have ended all square
but no one was complaining after an interesting evening
with some promising signs showing in City’s play
– Iwan Murray and Jordan Hunter in particular both
had productive performances but there were many others
too.
Most City fans will have been further consoled by the
sight of “King” Kurt Willoughby being re-introduced
to the Deva Stadium before kick-off. He was given a rousing
reception having signed on a year long’s loan from
Oldham today. Expectation levels for the new season have
been raised another notch or two.
Colin Mansley
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Sunday
22 July Chester 4
Lancaster City 1
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: TBC Half Time: 3-1
Chester: Mason (Brown 46), Hunter (Woodthorpe
46), Williams, Roberts (Rawlinson 46), Heywood (Pollock
46), Burke, Bainbridge, (Hancox), Weeks (Daly 63), Murray
(Hancox 46),Turner (Rosenblatt 46), Peers (Caton 46).
Lancaster City:
Trialist, Bailey, Trialist, Moonan, Trialist, Trialist,
Bailey (Trialist 75),
Trialist, Lawson, Kilpin, Evangelinos (Trialist 46). Subs
not used: Elewa-Ikpakwu, Trialist,
Trialist,
Trialist, Trialist,
Trialist.
A second win of the pre-season
for Chester comes against Lancaster City in the Isle of
Man Summer Tournament.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Friday
19 July
FC Isle of Man 2 Chester 5
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: TBC Half Time: 1-3
FC Isle of Man: Killey, Sherry (Lamb
83), Crook, Maitland, McDonnell (Watson 56), Whitley,
Pinnington (Naylor 83), Hattersley (Murray 56), Gerrard
(Gartland 56), Higgins (Booth 70), McVey (Corlett 66).
Sub not used: Wilkinson.
Chester: Mason, Hunter (Burke 46), Rawlinson
(Williams 46), Pollock (Roberts 46), Heywood (Woodthorpe
46), Bainbridge (Rosenblatt 46), Hancox, Weeks, Murray
(Daly 60), Caton (Turner 46) Peers. Sub not used: Brown.
Referee: Jacob Viera.
A first win of the pre-season
for Chester comes at the Isle of Man Summer Tournament.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Thursday
11 July
Chester 0 Stoke City 3
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 1,645 Half Time: 0-2
Chester: Mason, Hunter (Bott 67), Williams,
Pollock (Burke 46), Heywood, Woodthorpe (Rawlinson 46),
Bainbridge, Hancox (Murray 46), Rosenblatt (Weeks 46),
Caton (Peers 46), Turner (Davies 89). Sub not used: Trialist
(goalkeeper).
Stoke City (first half): Johansson, Gooch,
Rose, Gibson, Bocat, Laurent, Sidibe, Burger, Léris,
Tezgel, Vidigal.
Stoke City (second
half): Bonhan, Tchamadeu, Dixon, Wilmot, Stevens,
Thompson, Baker, Johnson, Manhoef, Junho, Ennis.
Chester
– playing in all blue, were given a formidable run
around by all black Stoke City from the Championship.
This was an extremely one-sided contest with Chester barely
able to get across the half way line as the visitors from
the Potteries zipped the ball round quickly from wing
to wing as they set about the task of trying to break
down the home side.
Pollock made a first appearance in the Blues’ defence
and then Connell Rawlinson did the same - albeit many
years after his initial debut – in the second half
as once again both sides made comprehensive changes to
their line-ups at half time. So at least there was opportunity
for the home supporters to see two more summer signings
in action.
Three of Stoke’s new additions made their starting
team. They took the lead after quarter of an hour having
pulled Chester’s back line from left to right. Tegel
popped the ball past Matty Williams and Mason could not
prevent his firm shot from bulging the net. Blues did
well following this to keep the Potters at bay. Hancox
headed off the line and Mason did will to save from Leris
as a shot opened up for him in the penalty area. Just
as it looked as though they would hold out from conceding
further till half time, Tegel persisted through a couple
of challenges in the box and then deftly tucked the ball
past Mason for Stoke’s second.
The pattern of play continued in the second period, though
Chester’s defence marshalled by Rawlinson and shielded
by Bainbridge held out slightly more comfortably. They
did concede a third however as Stoke countered after a
flurry of Chester possession, to attack down their left.
Bae Juhno sped down the wing and crossed for Ennis to
meet it first time and notch Stoke’s third.
City were put through their defensive paces by their Championship
counterparts. They now look forward to a mini-tour to
the Isle of Man where they would hope to have more of
the ball in attacking areas too.
Colin Mansley
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Saturday
6 July
Chester 2 Stockport County 3
Pre-season friendly
Attendance: 1,265 Half Time: 0-3
Chester: Mason, Bott, Burke, Roberts
(Hunter 46), Trialist (Williams 46), Woodthorpe (Heywood
46), Murray (Davies 59), Weeks (Hancox 46), Bainbridge
(Glendon 46), Peers (Turner 46), Rosenblatt (Caton 46).
Stockport County (first half): Addai,
Connolly, Touray, Knoyle, Okeke, Horsfall, Diamond, Trialist
A (Camps 20), Wootton, Gardner, Bate.
Stockport County (second half): Metcalfe,
Okeke, Trialist B, Trialist C, Hughes, Bailey, Fiorini,
Mann, Camps, Johnson, Pye.
One
swallow does not make a summer and only one swallow was
seen ploughing a lonely trail over the pitch as Chester’s
pre-season programme began in this unseasonally cool,
wet summer. Stockport were the visitors – as they
had been a year ago – and the final score was exactly
the same 2-3 to the away side.
This time it was very much a tale of two halves as both
sides took the opportunity to make wholesale changes in
personnel at half time. Burke, Mason, Bott and Murray
remained after the interval although the latter was eventually
replaced by Paddy Davies. There was no sign of new signings
Pollock and Rawlinson but all the others made an appearance.
A Trialist was present in the centre of Chester’s
defence as City spent most of the first half without the
ball and strove to keep Stockport at bay. Che Gardner
had already given the defence a bit of a scare –
blocked by the trialist’s recovery tackle –
before he opened the scoring latching on to Bate’s
speculative pass to prod the ball past Mason. Chester
rarely made inroads into the opposition half but when
Weeks won the ball and found Rosenblatt on the right the
youngster’s cross was deftly tucked home by Peers
– only for the assistant’s flag to be raised
for offside.
Almost immediately Stockport responded with a second goal
– Gardner’s cross from the right met by Wooton
who lunged to stab the ball home. City were further undone
just before the break when Weeks was caught in possession
and the loose ball fell to Bate who dispatched a spectacular
curling shot from outside the area to give County a third.
The second half saw a different Stockport eleven which
included new signing Sam Hughes – returning to the
Deva ( –Jid Okeke and Ibou Touray had already appeared).
There were first appearances in a Chester shirt for Jordan
Hunter and Mitch Hancox and the latter in particular impressed
with his box to box energy and eye for a good pass.
Burke took a quick free kick after he’d been tripped
and launched the ball towards Glendon’s run. Caton
was alert to his headed flick and steered the ball past
Metcalfe for City’s first goal. Williams lashed
home a second as he met a headed clearance on the edge
of the area. Had Glendon not scuffed his shot following
good work on the left by Turner then the Blues might have
finished level. Though all agree that the results of friendlies
are unimportant at least it was a better watch for Chester
fans in the second half.
Colin Mansley
Picture
© Rick Matthews
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