January 2008 News

“To go a goal behind is disappointing and to have a sending off is even more disppointing. Kevin Ellison has said he didn’t elbow the boy. By all accounts it was a clash more than anything else. To go down to ten me it is always going to be hard and to go down to 2-0 at half time is always going to make things difficult.”

“There’s not been much between the three games really, we just need a break in front of goal, somebody with a bit of desire to get on the end of something.”

“I felt we deserved something out of the game, the goalkeepers save from Sandwith’s free kick was the turning point I felt, but the goal changed it a bit. We showed a bit of character, kept on fighting and I don’t think our fans can complain about the effort.”

“We showed a lot more urgency than we did last week at home and we have to keep reminding ourselves that we have got to play like that every week and we just need a slice of luck.”

“The fans must stick with us, I’ve got belief in these guys, I think they give everything they have got and they do work hard and the only problem at times is that their confidence gets sapped and it looks as though there is a lack of effort, I can assure fans that is not the case, they will work hard for each other because they want to do well – it is only a matter of time before we get a break and we start winning games again.”

The forward, an England Under 19 international, is based in nearby Ellesmere Port and has had a loan spell this season at fellow league Two side, and Saturday's oppponents, Notts County where he scored one goal in four appearances.

Following this latest defeat manager Bobby Williamson said: “We knew exactly how they would come here and go about their business and that’s exactly what they have done. We are disappointed. We never created as much as we would have like and we never showed any urgency at all throughout the game. I’m disappointed for the fans and disappointed for the players because they can play a lot better than that.”

“Confidence can disappear very very quickly and that looks like being the case for some of our players. I’m disappointed that some players can’t be man enough to accept that, get on with the game and play football. But we’ll pick these guys up and go again next week.”

The Blues took the lead on 28 minutes through Lloyd Ellams who glanced home a Paul McManus cross from the left. Spurs equalised ten minutes later with Rose converting a right wing cross from close range. After the break it only seemed a matter of time before the hosts would take the lead but the more the game went on, with the City defence battling well, the more Chester came back into it and following the introduction of Stephen Thorpe began to cause problems with McManus’ pace on the break.

Butler again denied City, tipping Gio Feliciello’s dipping free-kick over the bar as Chester sensed the chance of a shock win. However with three minutes remaining Rose was sent through on the right, City ‘keeper Dorman stretched full length to push the ball away from the attacker who dived over the keeper and ball. To the astonishment of most in the crowd referee Lugg pointed to the spot. Hutton stepped up and sent Dorman, who didn’t appear ready for the kick, the wrong way.

So after a brave performance the young guns bowed out and received a well deserved reception from the home fans who remained to applaud them off, and roundly boo the officials!

Youth team manager Simon Davies reflected after the game: “It was a cruel way for us to go out because the referee awarded a penalty with just three minutes left. And the referee was the only person in the ground who thought the incident warranted a penalty.

Even Spurs director of football, Clive Allen, came up to me at the end of the game and apologised because he didn’t think the penalty should have been given. It was a very frustrating way to go out because I thought we were the strongest team towards the end of the game and I was looking forward to extra time.”

Chester City: Dorman, Robson (Smith, 54), Feliciello, Rule, Rowlands (Ryan Williams, 90), Owen, Morrin (Thorpe, 58), Gregory, Ellams, McManus, Mitchell. Subs not used: Newman, Simon Williams.

“I've done a little bit of homework on Tottenham through my contacts at Crewe Alexandra and Bristol City. They are very good technically from what I’ve seen on the tapes and DVDs I’ve watched. The Chester team hasn’t changed a lot from last season. We’ve basically retained our strikers and midfielders, but Kevin Roberts, Sean Newton and Neil Carroll are not now eligible for the youth team, so we’ve had to make a few changes.”

AWAY POINT STOPS THE ROT

Two goals from Chris Holroyd (left) and a third from Laurence Wilson brough City a point from a 3-3 draw at Accrington Stanley to stop the rot following three straight defeats. Holroyd gave City the lead in the opening ten minutes before Andy Proctor leveled the scores before the break. Ian Craney headed Stanley into a 2-1 lead on 63 minutes, the lead was short lived however as Wilson, just back from injury, curled in a great equaliser. Next on the scoresheet was Roscoe D’Sane who once again gave the home side the advantage before youngster Holroyd popped up to net from close range.

After the game City boss Bobby Williamson said: “We got off to a good start, we created a good goal from a set piece, Linwood’s got a head on it back across and Holroyd reacted and scored – it was great to get the start we got. But then we go and concede from a set piece also, which is bitterly disappointing as this is stuff we work on, but you can only manufacture the best you can and delegate the best you can. It is up to the players to switch on and make sure their men don’t get on the end of things but unfortunately for us it has happened twice today again.”

Picture © Evening Leader

4 January 2008
FA YOUTH CUP

Admission prices for next Tuesday’s FA Youth Cup fourth round tie at Tottenham Hotspur will be £3.00 adults and £1.00 for concessions. The game at White Hart Lane will kick-off at 19:00 and played to a conclusion on the night with extra time and penalties used if required. It will be the first FA Youth Cup game at the Lane since Spurs reached the semi-finals in 2005/06, home cup matches are normally played at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road.

Youth team manager Simon Davies is looking forward to the clash a year after a goal from Paul McManus dumped Spurs out at the same stage of the competition at Deva Stadium. “I think they’ve (Tottenham) shown us a bit of respect there. We knocked them out at this stage last season and perhaps they don’t want to take us to a pitch that has been churned up over Christmas. Maybe they want to knock it around on the bowling green at the Lane to show us how good they are.”

“Three or four players have broken through to the first team. It is great for them because they get to listen to the manager during games and even if they don’t play they are always sent back having done some intense fitness work to keep them as close to match fitness as possible. They are all level-headed and understand that this is just the beginning. There is a togetherness about this squad so no-one has a problem coming back after first-team duty.”

SQUAD STRETCHED AT STANLEY

Chester travel to Accrington Stanley tomorrow looking to end a run of three straight defeats. They will be without the services of Kevin Ellison who is suspended and John Murphy who misses out again through injury. Laurence Wilson, Nathan Lowndes and Tony Grant have started training again and Tony Dinning is expected to be back training next week. Whether manager Bobby Williamson recalls Mark Hughes to the starting X1 or keeps to the same youthful starling line-up at New Year’s Day remains to be seen.

Record signing Ian Craney returns to the Accrington squad for tomorrow’s clash at The Fraser Eagle Stadium where the home side have lost on no less that eight occasions already this season. Stanley currently lie three places and three points below City and picked up two away wins over Christmas at Grimsby Town and Mansfield Town, both 2-1, before being beaten 2-0 at home by Bradford City.

3 January 2008
YEO JOINS SHAKERS ON LOAN

Striker Simon Yeo has joined Bury on loan until the end of the season. Yeo was a target for Shakers Director of Football Keith Alexander in the summer before he signed for Chester. Yeo previously played under Alexander at Lincoln City.

Picture © Evening Leader

2 January 2008
NOT A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Chester’s new year started the same way as the old one had ended at Griffin Park with a below par display and a defeat. City suffered their third reverse in a row losing to Grimsby Town 2-0 on the back of holiday defeats at Morecambe and Brentford. Following the poor display in Brentford manager Bobby Williamson drafted in both loan midfielder John Welsh and youth team player Sean Newton for debuts. There was also a second start for another youth team player Paul McManus and surprisingly a drop to the bench for midfielder Mark Hughes.

City had a great chance to open the scoring just before the break as McManus was sent through one-on-one with Grimsby ‘keeper Phil Barnes but the youngster dragged his shot wide of goal.

Chances were few and far between and the visitors were gifted an opening midway through the second half as John Danby was adjudged to have tripped Danny North in the box, Danny Boshell converted the spot-kick. Robert Atkinson sealed the points for the Mariners heading home six minutes from time.

Manager Bobby Williamson reflected after this latest defeat: “A goal would have lifted our confidence and we could then have lifted ourselves and expressed ourselves. We could all see that Grimsby started to play a bit better after they had scored their goal. And their second goal more or less finished us off.

We kept battling on, but unfortunately we never troubled them as much as I would have liked. Conceding ten goals in our last three games is just not good enough. It has been disappointing and frustrating not to be playing better and getting results at this stage of the season.”

City dropped one place to tenth following this defeat and are next in action on Saturday with a visit to Accrington Stanley, kick-off 15:00hrs. They must do without Kevin Ellison who serves a one match ban.

Picture © Evening Leader