Match reports from January 2025

Saturday 18 January
Chester 2 Alfreton Town 0
National League North
Attendance: 2,385 Half Time: 0-0
Booked: Burke.

Chester: Storer, Burke, Weeks, Rawlinson, Peers, Willoughby (Daly 65), Woodthorpe, Woods (Mottley-Henry 90), Bainbridge, Murray (Pollock 90+2), Roberts. Subs not used: Glendon, Wadsworth.
Alfreton Town: Robson, Hunt, Lund, Wiley (Solademi 89), Whitehouse (Day 67), Cantrill, Waldock, Perritt, Abbey (Clackstone 87), Newall, McDonagh (Salmon 67). Subs not used: Askew.
Referee: Mark Bell.

Second half goals from Harrison Burke and Tom Peers give Chester a third successive victory to move third.

• Latest table |

Tuesday 14 January
Leamington 1 Chester 4
National League North
Attendance: 423 Half Time: 0-4
Booked: -.

Leamington: Hawkins, Meredith, Quaynor, Streete, Landers (Shorrock 60), Walker, Edwards (Clarke 72), Berridge (Lynn 69), Ward, Medrano (Evans 46), Williams. Sub not used: Humphries.
Chester: Storer, Burke, Weeks, Rawlinson, Peers (Daly 90+2), Willoughby, Caton (Woods 68), Woodthorpe, Bainbridge (Glendon 75), Murray, Roberts (Wadsworth 46). Sub not used: Mottley-Henry.
Referee: Harry Warner.

A superb opening half sees Chester end their New Windmill Ground hoodoo in style.

• Latest table |

Saturday 11 January
Buxton 2 Chester 4
National League North
Attendance: 1,012 Half Time: 2-3
Booked: Burke.

Buxton: Grant, Kirby, Elliott, Brennan, Sault, Trueman, Sasnauskas (De Girolamo 65), Fitzgugh (Viggars 73), Ravenhill, Popoola (Lusala 61), Burton. Subs not used: Williams, Stobbs.
Chester: Storer, Hunter, Burke, Pollock, Woodthorpe, Weeks, Bainbridge, Roberts, Daly (Mottley-Henry 57), Caton (Wadsworth 87), Peers. Subs not used: Rawlinson, Glendon, Willoughby.
Referee: Niall Smith.

Chester moved sixth after a second successive away victory. The fact that the match at Buxton, the highest pitch in the country, went ahead is testament to the huge effort by the home officials and volunteers who cleared a mountain of snow from the pitch surface to enable the referee to pass a 9am pitch inspection. Only one other National League North match survived the winter weather.

Bucks pressed from the off and saw Tommy Elliott find the net after six minutes only for his effort to be ruled out for offside. Chester also went close early on with Charlie Caton forcing Manchester City loanee True Grant into a smart save.

The home side opened the scoring on 18 minutes as a corner found its way through to Ethan Fitzhugh who found the corner of the net through a crowded penalty area. Two minutes later Chester were level as Caton prodded the bal home from six yards.

Sis minutes later Bucks were awarded a penalty after Jimmy Storer, making his Chester debut on goal, was adjudged to have brought down Elliott, Luke Brennan stepped up to convert the spot kick.

The game flowed from end to end and six minutes before half-time Chester were themselves awarded a penalty when Liam Ravenhill handled the ball in the area. Caton stepped up to score his second of the match. And with the exciting opening half drawing to a close Chester turned the game right round and took the lead.

Declan Weeks delivered an inswinging corner that was flicked through to Harrison Burke to smartly volley home at the back post for his sixth goal of the season.

Chester added a fourth goal on 58 minutes as Jack Bainbridge scored his first goal for the club scoring from distance and giving Grant no chance. Buxton created one or two chances late on, Diego De Girolamo found the net but again the assistant referee had his flag raised for offside.

Wednesday 1 January
Chester 0 Southport 0
National League North
Attendance: 2,711 Half Time: 0-0
Booked: Bainbridge, Glendon.

Chester: Harrison, Hunter, Burke, Weeks, Peers, Caton (Willoughby 77), Mottley-Henry, Pollock, Hancox (Glendon 66), Bainbridge, Wadsworth (Woodthorpe 46). Subs not used: Rawlinson, Roberts.
Southport: Renshaw, Williams, Knight-Percival, Lloyd, Proctor (Angus 69), Qansah, Moore, Hilton (Thomson 69), Burgess (Morgan 86), Minihan, Philliskirk. Subs not used: Keane, Stafford.
Referee: Callum Jones.

Chester and Southport largely cancelled each other out in this New Year’s Day local derby. Both sides sat in the middle of the table before and after the game although City are much more handily placed for the play-off positions than their Merseyside neighbours.

The Sandgrounders took to the field in unfamiliar sky blue whilst Chester were in their usual darker shade albeit with blue as opposed to the normal black shorts.

New loan signing Noah Wadsworth made his home bow – operating at left back – but it was an unhappy one as he was withdrawn at half-time in favour of Nathan Woodthorpe. The general play was strewn with errors and Bainbridge was an early casualty as he was booked for a professional foul having been caught in possession. The visitors could make nothing of the resultant free kick.

Peers took advantage of a defender’s misjudgement and raced in from the right towards goal but his shot went wide of the far post. Again he fired across on a separate occasion and on another almost pipped ‘keeper Renshaw to an under-hit back pass.

City showed more intensity after the break and began to threaten. Caton had a shot blocked at the near post and then Bainbridge’s effort, direct from a corner, looked to be heading in until deflected wide of the post by Hinton. Glendon replaced Hancox and looked lively. From his raking pass over the top of the defence Peers hit a spectacular effort well wide.

Southport’s most dangerous attempts were from set pieces. Knight-Percival headed Danny Lloyd’s kick narrowly wide of the upright and then a corner caused consternation in the box when Harrison could not hold on to a header at the far post. In the resulting scramble Morgan’s shot was deflected over the bar.

Glendon replied with a good effort from distance but also off target and the final chance fell to Willoughby in the dying moments. His first time effort from a defender’s clearance did not have the legs to trouble Renshaw too much.

Another frustrating home draw for Chester followed their handy win at Marine on Boxing Day. Southport were solid and defended well from the front and City were not able to sustain the pressure to make the breakthrough they desired. They will have ten days to work on things as their scheduled opponents for Saturday, Spennymoor, are still involved in the FA Trophy.

Colin Mansley

Webmaster

Back | Top