A hat-trick from Tony Gray, the fourth Blues player to score three in a game this season, helped Chester to a stylish 5-1 victory at relegation threatened Colwyn Bay. Gray, named the Conference North Player of the month, gave the Blues a slender half-time advantage despite dominating for much of the opening half former Blues ‘keeper Chris Sanna was beaten only once. After the break though, a wonderful curling Matty McGinn free-kick doubled the advantage, before a brace from Gray put the match beyond doubt. Bay reduced the deficit from the penalty spot before Antoni Sarcevic ran three quarters of the length of the pitch, leaving defenders in his wake to score the goal of the game in the last minute. Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

Chester completed the double over Gloucester City with a 2-0 victory on Saturday stretching their unbeaten run of league games to 26. Chester maintained their 16 point lead over second placed Guiseley with the Yorkshire side having two games in hand. In-form striker Tony Gray opened the scoring and an own goal from Tom Hamblin gave the Blues a two goal advantage at half-time.

A delighted manager Neil Young told the Chester leader: “I told the lads in the dressing room before the game that it was important that we put a points total on the board for others to chase.”

“We’re now on 91 points which is one more point than the total that won the title last season from a good Hyde side, so I feel we’ve posted a target with eight games to go which is great credit to the players. I’m definitely thinking about the title because we’ve got to at this stage of the season, but we know what’s ahead of us and we know the job in hand.”

“I'm just glad that I’ve got a group of players who just turn up, play, and do their stuff. It doesn’t seem to matter what team I put out. I made seven changes in midweek, and I made four or five changes for the Harrogate match the previous weekend.”

Three quality second half goals from Marc Williams (2) and Lee Trundle eased Chester through to a Cheshire Senior Cup final tie against Stalybridge Celtic. This will be the first appearance in the final since 1932 when, during their first season as a league club, Chester beat Crewe Alexandra to lift the cup.

Trundle had two opportunities to score in the opening ten minutes but Albion ‘keeper Matthew Cooper saved on both occasions. Chances were few and far between in the first half with Witton’s Danny Andrews having the best for the visitors only to shoot straight at Martin Fearon in the Chester goal.

Williams (pictured) opened the scoring in the 66th minute with a fine half-volley following a george Horan lay-off, and six minutes later Trundle opened his Chester account with a exquisite lob over Cooper from the edge of the box. Trundle turned provider five minutes from time sending a through ball for Williams to run on to and shoot past Cooper.

Chester moved three points nearer to the Conference North title with a 3-1 victory at Harrogate Town on Saturday, stretching their unbeaten league run to a magnificent 25 games. The match, which passed an early afternoon pitch inspection, was played on a glue-pot of a pitch but both teams adapted well to provide an entertaining encounter. The victory leaves Chester 16 points clear from second placed Guiseley at the top having scored 88 goals and amassed 88 points in the process.

Nathan Jarman opened the scoring on 37 minutes with an acrobatic overhead kick that slipped through the hands of Town ‘keeper Craig MacGillivray and crossed the line before it was cleared by the home defence. Eleven minutes after the restart Tony Gray doubled the lead with a smart looping header over MacGillivray following a pinpoint left wing cross from Matty McGinn. McGinn himself added a the third chesting home a Dave Hankin cross at the far post, having been unlucky moments before seeing a superb free-kick bounce out from the crossbar. The hosts pulled a goal back with a well taken Dominic Knowles free-kick.

A delighted manager Neil Young told the Chester Chronicle: “I said to them beforehand, forget about the conditions, the game is on, and if you want to win this league you’ve got to come to places like this, win – not draw – and show me what you are made of.”

A goal ten minutes into extra-time by captain George Horan gave Chester a 1-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers in their quarter-final Cheshire Senior Cup tie. A crowd of 820 saw an entertaining game with the visitors fielding a side that contained six players with first team experience this season. Antoni Sarcevic, Matty McGinn and Iain Howard all came close to breaking the deadlock during the 90 minutes before Horan collected a Howard pass to turn and shoot past Jason Mooney in the Rovers goal, the ball taking a slight deflection on the way into the net. Picture � Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)