It looked like Oxford City were expecting a mass turnout of Chester fans as after negotiating the dedicated away entrance/corridor, we were greeted with a marquee big enough for 500 people and strings of fairy lights around the Swiss chalet-style tea bar.

While this wasn't what we were used to in the National League North, it became clear the large marquee was actually intended for Saturday’s FA Trophy quarter final clash against Woking. This Tuesday night match against Chester was seen as a ‘test event’.

The turnout of 255 Blues’ fans – an impressive effort on a midweek February night at a ground more than 150 miles from Chester – would have been useful practice for Oxford City's staff ahead of their big Cup tie.

On the pitch, the Hoops would have been expecting the league leaders to give them as much a challenge as the National League side they are facing on Saturday. While there was no doubt that Chester put on a National League level defensive performance, they just lacked that magic moment in front of goal to earn them another three points.

Playing on an artificial pitch always gives the match a different dimension, but Oxford also put on solid defensive display and a 0-0 draw was a fair result for a match that wasn't for the football purists.

The first half passed by with almost no threat on either goal. Tom Peers had Chester’s closest attempt of the first 45 minutes, but he was no match for Oxford goalkeeper, Laurie Walker.

The best chance of the whole game fell to Oxford’s Jayden Carbon. The 19-year-old had the whole goal in front of him, after running past Harrison Burke and Connell Rawlinson, but his unstoppable shot somehow fizzed past the wrong side of the post.

At this stage, the game was already proving to be a ‘stop/start’ one. Referee Tolu Sangawawa was continually blowing for fouls and both sides were getting a bit feisty. Iwan Murray and Aaron Drewe were both booked for tangling with each other on the half hour mark.

In truth, nothing much else happened in the first half and the travelling fans (who made up nearly half the crowd) were relieved to see Chester make a more determined start to the second half.

Murray was proving a handful on the artificial pitch, but the game continued to be a tetchy one. Both sides had numerous free kicks that fell to nothing. Peers had another half chance, but couldn't get near the target.

Chester were kicking towards their supporters in this half and there was much banging of the pitchside advertising hoardings when they had two second half corners. The best of them from Declan Weeks somehow seemed to evade everyone though, and it was disappointing that throughout the game the Blues never threatened from a set piece.

A cross from Weeks did find new signing Taelor O’Kane, but he didn’t make the most of the chance and Walker, was never really tested in goal.

Jack Lambert came on for the largely ineffectual Kurt Willoughby on the 70th minute and a tiring Murray was replaced by Reece Daly on the 82nd minute. But, although Chester pressed forward in the last 15 minutes, they still didn’t come close to scoring. It was actually a relief when full-time came as a hard-earned point was enough to keep the Blues top of the league.

Picture © Rick Matthews

Picture © Rick Matthews

The weather was so dreich that the Welsh hills were invisible from the Deva and there was a chill wind too. But the Blues managed to get back to winning ways nevertheless with what turned out to be an emphatic win.

Rushall are at the wrong end of the table and looking for points in their fight against relegation and have picked up some useful results against higher opposition – notably winning at Kidderminster and drawing at Curzon Ashton but were hammered 7-0 by Buxton the previous Saturday and lost again to Marine in the week. They began on the front foot as Omari Sterling-James got behind the Blues defence along the right and cut along the by-line before trying to find a colleague in the six yard box but City were able to clear. Weeks then cleared Barkers’ header off the line.

Jack Lambert, signed the previous day, made his debut and impressed with energy and good control. His powerful shot on twelve minutes was parried by White in the Pics’ goal and when Mooney tried to touch in the rebound he was upended by the keeper’s follow-up dive. Peers crashed home the resultant penalty.

Although play was scrappy for long periods with a congested midfield and the ball up in the air a lot, Chester tried to extend the lead. Peers did well to control Weeks’ lofted through ball but his shot was blocked. Weeks himself fought his way through a tangle of tackles to shoot narrowly wide and Lambert also tried an effort from further out which wasn’t too far away from the top corner. But Pics showed they could move the ball around with purpose too and Storer had to hurry to clear the ball out of Sterling-James’s path and the visitors continued to threaten from set-pieces.

Peers’ chipped shot was scrambled clear as the second half got underway but home nerves were eventually settled on sixty-five minutes when Burke headed in from a similar position from which he had scored on Tuesday. Further goals were added by Peers who struck home after Woods’ effort had been blocked and then Weeks’ first time pass found Willoughby on the left for the number nine to ice the cake further with a low shot into the far corner.

The win was only marred by an unfortunate home debut for Scott Burgess who was replaced after only three minutes after coming on as a substitute following an injury as he was tacked from behind.

National League North
Attendance: 2,752 Half Time: 1-1
Booked: Murray.

Chester: Storer, Burke, Weeks, Rawlinson, Peers, Woodthorpe, Bainbridge (Hunter 65), Murray, K.Roberts, Mooney (Woods 65), F.Roberts (Willoughby 77). Subs not used: Pollock, Daly.
Kidderminster Harriers: Dibble, Richards, Downing, Devine (Lutz 90+1), McNally, Morgan-Smith, Hemmings, Brown, Kouhyar (Reynolds 73), Kellermann, Kandola. Subs not used: Palmer, Robinson, Davis.
Referee: Darren Rogers.

Chester started this much anticipated top of the table clash with elan but couldn’t maintain their early momentum and had to settle for a draw with promotion rivals Kidderminster.

Attacking the newly rebranded Harry Mac End – sponsored now by Edwards Homes – City flew in to an early lead. A left wing corner was met at the far post by Harrison Burke who didn’t have to get off the ground to plant his header back into the opposite corner of the goal. Harriers were rocked on to the back foot by Chester’s start and had to repel a dangerous cross from Mooney and watch in relief as Declan Weeks blazed an inviting volley narrowly wide.

Harriers then established themselves and began to exert more influence, enjoying better possession and finding space on either wing to swing crosses into the box. They levelled when Richards’ cross from the left was headed back across goal buy an under-pressure Woodthorpe, Storer was wrong-footed, Burke slipped and Ashley Hemmings had the simple chance of poking the ball in the net.

The second half began with Harriers trying to play the ball over the top of City’s defence. Storer rushed out of his area to deny Devine. Mooney responded by blazing a shot wide after Burke’s run and through ball gave him the opportunity. Then Hemmings fired wide at the other end.

City suffered a major blow when Bainbridge had to retire with what looked like a nasty injury following a tackle in the middle of the park. Kevin Roberts moved from right back to take over the holding role whilst Hunter came on. To their credit City, despite having to re-adjust, dominated possession for the remainder of the half. The game became increasingly littered with fouls and bookings as City strove to find a decisive goal. Weeks came closest with a shot curled narrowly wide with ten minutes to go.

The match petered out as a draw when City’s bright start had promised so much. Still the Blues maintained top spot – although several others have games in hand with which to leapfrog them. Calum Mcintyre’s first ambition however remains to achieve the play-offs and then see where that takes us. The next opponents, Rushall Olympic, are currently struggling but were a stumbling block to Chester last season and will not be taken lightly.

National League North
Attendance: 2,125 Half Time: 1-0
Booked: Weeks, K.Roberts.

South Shields: Boney, Hughes (Mee 65), Briggs, Shepherd, Heaney, Smith, Jenkins, Carson, Stephenson, Blackett (Myers-Smith 86), Crossley (Ward 70). Subs not used: Seymour, Sloan.
Chester: Storer, Hunter (K.Roberts 46), Burke, Weeks, Rawlinson, Peers, Woodthorpe, Woods, Bainbridge, Murray (Willoughby 72), F.Roberts (Mooney 46). Subs not used: Pollock, Burgess.
Referee: Lewis Dawson.

Chester’s seven match winning run came to an end with this defeat at South Shields. The Mariners started strongly with Dylan Stephenson causing the Chester defence all sorts of problems down the right wing. Kyle Crossley tested Jimmy Storer in the Blues goal forcing a smart save from the on-loan Wolves ‘keeper.

The home side were constantly getting past the Chester back line and there were large appeals for a penalty for a foul on Crossley with referee Lewis Dawson having none of it.

The home pressure finally told on the 37th minute with the opening goal as Crossley was first to react to a loose ball from a corner and shoot past Storer, his shot taking a deflection past the shot-stopper.

South Shields missed a guilt edged opportunity to extend their lead in first half stoppage time as Crossley opted to cross a ball when one-on-on with Storer, his cross pass proving too hard for Paul Blackett to control.

Chester started the second half with a bit more purpose. Tom Peers had the ball in the net after 60 minutes but was ruled offside in a very tight decision by the linesman’s flag.

Ten minutes from time the Mariners doubled their lead as Stephenson rose to knock the ball down for Blackett to finish past Storer. The final action went to the home side who almost added third as Blackett forced a smart save from Storer in the final minutes.

National League North
Attendance: 476 Half Time: 0-1
Booked: Rawlinson.

Peterborough Sports: Crook, Putman, Fryatt, Van Lier (Lomax 65), Felix (Jones 75), McCann, Alban-Jones, Bland (Makuna 86), Gyasi, Gash, Booth. Subs not used: Tootle, Elsom.
Chester: Storer, Hunter, Burke, Rawlinson, Peers, Woodthorpe, Woods (Pollock 80), Bainbridge, Murray, K.Roberts, F.Roberts (Willoughby 65). Subs not used: Weeks, Burgess, Mooney.
Referee: Zachary Cunningham.

It was the Turbines who started the better of the two sides with Kaine Felix shooting just over the bar on ten minutes before City ‘keeper Jimmy Storer was forced to push another effort from Max Booth out for a corner.

Michael Gyasi saw an effort go just wide before Tom Peers had the first Blues effort on target with Peter Crook in the home goal palming his shot over the bar.

Chester were fortunate not to concede midway through the half as Gyasi saw an effort dropped by Storer, the ball passed between his legs but stuck in the mud on the goalline and was gathered at the second attempt.

The Blues opened the scoring on 27 minutes, Harrison Burke set Tom Peers free in plenty of space down the right, he cut inside and crossed for the unmarked Fin Roberts to score at the back post from close range.

Connell Rawlinson preserved the lead as he headed Ryan Fryatt’s effort off the line. Fin Roberts had a great chance to double the lead just before the break as the on-loan striker was sent clean through one-on-one with Crook but saw his chipped effort clear both the ‘keeper and the crossbar.

Early in the second period Connor Woods cleared another effort from Fryatt off the line to safety. The home side controlled much of the second period without really testing Storer. Woods saw an effort blocked as he looked to open his Chester account. Substitute Kurt Willoughby came close to adding a second as he saw a free kick hit the post.

Despite plenty of home pressure in the closing stages the Blues defence held firm for three hare earned points.