There were chaotic scenes at Deva Stadium

City have the chance tomorrow to complete the double over Cheshire neighbours Stockport County. The two sides meet at Deva Stadium (15:00hrs) and both sides have something at stake. City will be looking for the win that will almost guarantee League Two football for another season while the visitors need three points to continue their promotion push to League One.

Tony Dinning has received a one match ban following his red card at Peterborough United on Monday. The defender will now sit out the home game against his former club Stockport County this Saturday. Dinning told the Evening Leader: “I’m devastated about missing Saturday’s match against my old club because I didn’t realise the seven-day rule about suspensions had been scrapped.” “I know people will say an experienced player like me shouldn’t have got sent off, and I appreciate that, but you never lose your passion for the game and I couldn’t help myself – I just got caught up in the game. I’m not defending my actions because I know how silly I was and, looking back, I know it was pathetic to get sent off.” Picture © Evening Leader

Following victory over Darlington on Saturday the Blues ended their Easter weekend with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Peterborough United. City, missing the experience of Paul Butler and Kevin Ellsion battled well for much of the game against their high-flying opponents. Glenn Rule was also drafted in for a first team debut. The only goal of the game came 19 minutes from time by Dean Keates after a period of heavy home pressure that also saw one effort ruled out for offside and another cleared off the line.

City though still created some chances of note in the dying minutes with John Murphy seeing a shot deflected inches wide and Richie Partridge missing a golden opportunite from the resulting corner from just eight yards out. Paul Linwood also shot wide when well placed in stoppage time.

Tony Dinning was sent-off after picking up a second yellow card late in the game and will now face suspension.

Manager Simon Davies praised the side following the defeat, he said: “We were always going to find it hard at Peterborough, especially on their home ground, but I thought we put on a performance, stuck together, and nearly got something out of it.”

Chester earned three crucial points on Saturday with the defeat of Darlington at Deva Stadium 2-1. Two first half goals from Paul Rutherford, his first for the club, and Richie Partridge set City on their way and despite a late effort from Darlo’s Steve Foster the Blues hung on for a vital victory. City however picked up more injuries with goalkeeper John Danby, Partridge and Chris Holroyd all having to be be replaced during the 90 minutes. City remain in 19th spot in League Two but gained three more points on three of the sides below them. On Monday the Blues visit second placed Peterborough United (15:00hrs). Manager Simon Davies must wait on the fitness of Saturday’s injured trio before naming his side. The Posh are expected to be without Craig Mackail-Smith and Kieran Charnock through injury and Claude Gnakpa through suspension. Since their return to the Football League, London Road has been a happy hunting ground for City with successive victories in the two visits there. The two sides last met at Deva Stadium in December with the visitors running out 2-1 winners. Picture © Evening Leader

Chester enter the Easter weekend facing two tough games against promotion chasing Darlington and Peterborough United.

Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Barnet edges City uncomfortably close to the relegation zone. The Blues stand just five places and seven points above the drop now and three of the teams below have games in hand.

After the final whistle manager Simon Davies came over to apologise to the disgruntled Blues fans, those that hadn’t already set off for an early journey home, following the latest display.

Davies said: said: “Unlike our previous three games when I thought things could have gone our way, I thought we put in a very, very poor performance at Barnet, and decided to go across and apologise to our travelling supporters because they go to work all week to earn a wage to follow Chester around the country and we provide a poor performance like we did.”

Chester play 20th placed Barnet at Underhill tomorrow desperately looking for three points to ease any relegation fears. The Bees sit two places, and one point, below City but have three games in hand on the Blues. The Blues will be looking to turn a glut of missed chances over the last three games into goals tomorrow against their fellow strugglers.

Chester have injury doubts over Chris Holroyd, Tony Grant, Paul Butler and Richie Partridge ahead of the clash. All missed the midweek defeat against Bradford City and are rated as doubtful. Barnet manager Paul Fairclough has his injury worries too; The Bees will be without both Jason Puncheon and Michael Leary who are suspended, while there are doubts over Rob Beckwith (hamstring), Adam Birchall (hamstring) and Kenny Gillet (ligament damage).

Manager Simon Davies said: “It�s going absolutely wonderfully in terms of the job and performances � but in terms of points, it�s an absolute disaster at the moment. I�m looking up at the sky and thinking I must have done something wrong in a previous life. I�ve never experienced anything like it where we can produce so many chances per game and come out with nothing. I�m not one for praying, but I�ll have to start because something�s got to change. Hopefully it will at Barnet. With every game that goes on, I’m trying to keep the lads calm. But without the win and without the points, you get a little bit more desperate for them.”

The two sides last met on 4 December when a brace from Kevin Ellison and a Richie Partridge effort gave the Blues a 3-0 win at Deva Stadium. They have wone only twice since then.

The lowest Deva crowd of the season, just 1,566, saw the Blues suffer their eighth home league defeat on the run this time at the hands of Bradford City.

Chester have now won just one game in 17 following last night’s home reverse. This run equals the dismal slide of two seasons ago prior to the departure of manager Keith Curle. Ironically on both occasions the solitary victory came at Mansfield Town. The Blues turned in a better performance from the defeat at the hands of Wrexham on Sunday, but once again in front of goal the chances went begging with some poor finishing.

Following his third straight defeat in charge manager Simon Davies (left) said: “I’m not getting disillusioned, but I do feel sorry for the lads because I thought they gave it everything. We switched off a little bit for the goal, but as I said in the dressing room, we can’t lay everything at the door of our defensive unit when we’re missing sitters up front. Kevin Ellison missed from four yards – how I don’t know, and we missed other half-chances. We keep creating, but at the moment we’re just not putting our chances away, so hopefully it will come.”

“We’ll keep working hard, and if we play like we did against Bradford, then we should get something at Barnet on Saturday.”

Chester manager Simon Davies has fresh injury concerns ahead of tonight’s League Two clash against Bradford City at Deva Stadium (19:45)

Simon Davies has had his caretaker manager role extended until the end of the season. Davies took charge last week following the departure of Bobby Williamson and has overseen the two defeats since then against Darlington and Wrexham. Davies

It was yet again a case of missed opportunities against local rivals Wrexham yesterday as the Blues forced 16 corners and squandered several chances before conceding a goal in each half to bring their 11th home defeat of the season. Referee Andy D’Urso twice ruled out goals for City and on each occasion the visitors broke away to score straight after.

Caretaker manager Simon Davies said: “The two goals we conceded astonished me because we switched off which was unprofessional. I wouldn’t expect that of youth team players, and I certainly shouldn’t be expecting that of first team players.”

Ex-Chester ‘keeper Gavin Ward made a string of saves to deny the Blues including one in the opening minute from Chris Holroyd that he tipped round the post.

Davies added: “We were getting round the back of Wrexham and through the side of them, and we were six or seven yards out, and at the end of the day if we can roll it in the bottom corner and keep it on the deck then even the best keeper in the world won’t get to those. Gavin Ward made a few great saves, but I thought we gave him a chance by putting the shots at a nice height for him.”

The games come thick and fast in March and Bradford City are next up at Deva Stadium on Wednesday night (19:45) before a trip to fellow strugglers Barnet on Saturday (15:00).

Chester entertain arch-rivals Wrexham on Sunday hoping to pile on the misery for their opponents who currently lie four points adrift at the bottom of the Football League and in doing so ease any relegation worries themselves.

Caretaker boss Simon Davies is waiting on the fitness of Richie Partridge, Paul Butler and Tony Grant who all missed the midweek defeat at Darlington. Midfielder Mark Hugh is available though following suspension.

Ahead of the derby match caretaker boss Davies (pictured) said: said: “People talk about pressure, but I’d rather be in our dressing room with our pressure than their dressing room with their pressure. If we can get the three points, it’s a bit of room for us and it would put them in a real tough position. I’ve got a few friends at Wrexham but on the day we’ll all be enemies and we’ll go to beat them.”

Defender Simon Marples has been placed on ‘garden leave’ after apparently refusing to take a place on the subs bench on Tuesday night at Darlington. The PFA were called in to advise on a course of action after discussions between Marples and caretaker manager Simon Davies. A spokesman for the club confirmed: “The manager has acted speedily and firmly in this matter, the ball is now very much in the player’s court.” Marples has made 18+0 appearances for City this season, his last appearance was at Brentford on 29 December. Picture © Evening Leader

A goal from Darlington’s Pawel Abbott in the 27th minute was enough to bring another defeat for Chester at their high-flying opponents. Abbott’s winner was controversial with City claiming that Kevin Ellison had been fouled in the build-up.

Youth team manager Simon Davies will start his second stint as caretaker manager as Chester City head for a League Two match at third placed Darlington tonight. Davies stepped into a similar role following the departure of Mark Wright last May for the final game of the season at Lincoln City a week before the appointment of Bobby Williamson.

With Williamson now departed, Davies has the unenviable task of lifting a side that has picked up just five points form the last 42 and dropped from a play-off position at Christmas to 17th in League Two. Midfielder Mark Hughes will once again miss out through suspension for the game which has twice been postponed due to the weather in recent weeks. Also out is Richie Partridge who has a hamstring injury that ruled him out last Saturday.

Davies is looking forward to his second stint in charge. He said: “I’m looking forward to it, because I don’t think the squad is far away from being a good unit at this level. There was a good atmosphere in training, and the players were extremely lively. We have a run of three games in eight days coming up, and I am looking to take five points from those matches.�

“I've been asked to take charge on a caretaker basis for tonight's match at Darlington and I'm going to do the job to the best of my ability. We must be organised and do everything right because my role as manager is based on results, and we must produce respectable performances against Darlington tonight, and at home to Wrexham on Sunday.”

“The task ahead is clear – we must do all we can to get Chester City into a safe league position so that the club can compete in the same league next season.”

Home manager Dave Penney is expected to name an unchanged side from the one that beat Brentford 3-1 on Saturday.

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After just nine months in the position manager Bobby Williamson has been sacked by Chester. Youth team manager Simon Davies will take charge of first team affairs for the visit to Darlington on Tuesday night.

Williamson’s reign comes at the end of a disastrous run that has seen City pick up just one victory in 14 matches, a run that has seen them drop from a play-off position to 17th, ten points from relegation.

Williamson arrived at Deva Stadium in May 2007 following the departure of Mark Wright. Along will his assistant manager Malky Thomson, the duo saw City start the season in fine form, particularly away from home, going joint top in early November following a win at Lincoln City. But Thomson’s departure in early December to Inverness Caledonian Thistle signaled a down turn in form, the Blues have picked up only 11 from 51 points since. Thomson was replaced by Jim Bone, he departed a couple of weeks ago following a 6-2 thumping at Dagenham & Redbridge and was replaced immediately by former manager Steve Mungall.

Williamson’s record at Chester reads: P38, W12, D7, L19

Chester owner Stephen Vaughan said last night: “This wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction. I thought long and hard about the decision and it was a decision taken in the best interests of the club.”

He continued: “One win in 14 games isn’t good enough by any standards and if the current situation hadn’t been arrested we could have found ourselves returning to Conference football. It is an extremely sad time when you have to change a manager and I would like to thank Bobby for all his efforts during his time at Chester City.”

“I’ve backed Bobby all the way and Bobby knows very well that it was a hard decision to make. But it was a decision that we’ve got to make that puts the club first.

City slipped to 17th in League Two after they were beaten 1-0 at MK Dons on Saturday