Match reports from September 2024

Saturday 7 September
Chester 1 South Shields 0
National League North
Attendance: 2,254 Half Time: 1-0
Booked: -.

Chester: Harrison, Hunter, Weeks, Williams (Burke 7), Peers, Glendon, Willoughby (Turner 75), Caton, Woodthorpe, Pollock, Bainbridge. Subs not used: Hancox, Murray, Roberts.
South Shields: Boney, Okeke (Taylor 72), Shepherd, Bramwell, Heany, Briggs, Crossley, Hodgson, Mee (Smith 64), Middlemass (McGowan 64), Rutledge. Subs not used: Seymour, Watts.
Referee: Oliver Noonan.

The game was only two minutes old when Matty Williams, making his first start of the season, sustained a serious-looking injury. He collapsed when shielding the ball from an attacker on the right touchline and remained prone while play continued. After medical attention he was stretchered off the field to sympathetic applause. Burke came on to replace him.

South Shields saw more of the ball in the opening exchanges without creating anything clear cut. They came into the match on reasonable form but without their top marksman Paul Blackett. Several times a through ball nearly found a striker but Blues defenders were able to intercept and retrieve the situation. Going forward City too were unable to muster a shot on target, though Glendon’s promising run into the box saw his effort blocked.

As a drab first half ran in to stoppage time Blues took the lead thanks to a scruffy goal. Willoughby’s cross from the left was parried by the goalkeeper, Weeks scuffed a shot towards goal and Peers deflected it into the back of the net off a defender. It didn’t look pretty but the Blues were not complaining as they had a vital lead.

It proved to be the only goal of the game but City’s much improved display in the second period was lacking only in the quality of their finishing. Given the chances created they should have ensured the result was settled long before the final whistle as they dominated midfield and cut through the Mariners’ defences time and again. Charlie Caton was the chief culprit of missed opportunities, heading a Hunter cross wide, blazing a shot from the edge of the area over the bar and unluckily seeing the ball come off one post, trickle along the line and deflect off the other post to safety after his cute strike had beaten the keeper. His best opportunity of all came in the closing minutes when Weeks put him through on goal but lack of composure saw his shot go wide of the target.

Others had further attempts at goal – Weeks’ header was plucked out of the air by a recovering ‘keeper and then Pollock saw his shot, following a corner, skim the top of the crossbar. With such profligacy, increasingly anxiously watching Cestrians braced for the inevitable sucker punch equaliser. But it never came and City held out for the most one-sided of 1-0 wins.

Next Saturday brings another north-east challenge to the Deva as Hebburn Town visit in the FA Cup. The Hornets are currently on good form, flying high in the league below and having won 5-1 at home today.

Colin Mansley

Tuesday 3 September
Kidderminster Harriers 1 Chester 1
National League North
Attendance: 2,554 (307 Chester) Half Time: 0-0
Booked: Pollock, Weeks, Peers.

Kidderminster Harriers: Dibble, Richards, McNally, Summerfield, Hemmings, Cadogan (Lambert 56). Foulkes, Brown, Kouhyar, Obadeyi (Thompson 88), Davis. Subs not used: Devine, Bishop, Rubio.
Chester: Harrison, Roberts (Williams 61), Pollock, Burke (Hunter 83), Woodthorpe, Bainbridge, Glendon, Weeks, Caton (Turner 86), Willoughby (Hancox 46), Peers. Sub not used: Murray.
Referee: Ben Robinson.

Charlie Caton finds the net again as Chester come from behind to draw at Aggborough.

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