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30
September 2019
YOUTH TEAM VICTORY
The Youth Team came from
behind to win at Chorley 3-2 in the Second Qualifying
Round of the FA Youth Cup tonight. The Blues had
been 2-0 at half-time but a goal from Regan Rubin
followed by a brace from Will Goodwin saw the side
through to victory after forcing extra-time.
Chester: Schofield, Kucharski,
Burke, Hall (Buckley 74), Bell, Hampson, Ruffer,
Harrison (Johnson 106), Turner (Young 46), Goodwin,
Rubin (Sutton 100). Subs not used: Atton, Woodburn,
Gibson.
BLUES SHARE SIX GOALS
Chester and Leamington fought out a 3-3 draw on
Saturday. The Blues twice came from behind and rescued
a point with a superb late free-kick from Matty
Waters. Chester fell behind on 15 minutes as March
poked the ball home from six yards following a long
throw-in into the box. Chester leveled four minutes
later through James Jones who headed home a Joel
Taylor corner. Leamington missed a great chance
to restore their lead as March missed a penalty
after the striker had been fouled by Jones.
Chester started the second half with a goal inside
the first minute as George Glendon scored his first
Blues goal shooting low past Weaver following an
Anthony Dudley lay-off. Leamington soon restored
parity as a looping Edwards header beat Russell
Griffiths.
Twelve from time Kaiman Anderson beat the Blues
defence to the ball and scored past Griffiths to
restore the visitors' lead. It looked like all three
points were going back to the Midlands, but as the
game entered stoppage time a foul on Simon Grand
allowed Waters to fire home the free kick off the
underside of the bar to rescue a point that leaved
Chester in second place in the table.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Table
after Leamington draw
24 September 2019
GARY STOPFORTH
The football club have issued
a statement after 32-year-old midfielder Gary Stopforth
appeared in court today and was found guilty of
drink-driving, fined and banned for driving for
two years.
The club issued the following statement: “As
a club, Chester Football Club take matters such
as this very seriously and the incident has been
dealt with and concluded internally. Gary is aware
of the expected standards of behaviour from him
and that his actions fell well below this.”
The midfielder also issued a statement that read:
“I am very conscious of the fact that I have
let down a lot of people by my actions, which I
deeply regret. I have to try to make up for a terrible
error of judgement and I intend to do so, first
by accepting the fine and punishment handed down
by the court and subsequently by my actions.”
“Drink driving is a very serious offence and
there is no excuse for what I have done. The club
has been very supportive throughout this process
and I want to concentrate now on my responsibilities
to the Club and work hard to get back in the team.”
23 September 2019
FA CUP DRAW Should
Chester win their replay at Altrincham on Tuesday
night they will face an away tie at Halesowen Town
in the Third Qualifying Round
of the FA Cup.
The Blues drew 1-1 with the Robins on Saturday having
got off to a perfect start with a goal from Matty
Hughes after just two minutes but an equaliser on
75 minutes from Josh Hancock forced the game to
a replay at Moss Lane on Tuesday, kick-off 19.45hrs.
Both Scott Burton (eye) and Joel Taylor (groin)
were subbed at half-time through injury and both
goalkeeper Russell Griffiths and defender Danny
Livesey needing treatment that saw the game eventually
finish after 11 minutes of stoppage time.
21 September 2019
YOUTH TEAM PROGRESS
The Youth Team got their
FA Youth Cup campaign off to a winning start with
a 4-1 victory at Clitheroe in the First Qualifying
Round. The home side took the lead before two goals
apiece from Will Goodwin and Reagan Rubin put the
Blues through to the next round and an away tie
at Chorley.
17 September 2019
FRIENDLY DEFEAT The
Blues were beaten 5-3 in a friendly at AFC Fylde
on Monday afternoon. The game saw a number of fringe
players get valuable minutes on the pitch. Chester
led 3-1 at half-time through goals from Danny Elliott,
Iwan Murray and Stuart Crilly.
Chester: Trialist, Waters, G.Roberts,
Jones, Trialist, Morgan, Crilly, Trialist, Waring,
Elliott, Murray. Subs: Noble, Trialist.
16 September 2019
HAT-TRICK FOR ASANTE AS BLUES MOVE UP
Striker
Akwasi Asante bagged himself the match ball as his
hat-trick guided Chester to a third successive 3-1
victory, this time at Telford United, which moved
the Blues to second place in the table a point behind
leaders York City. Hot property Asante has now scored
11 goals in 5+3 appearances this season.
Backed by a traveling support numbering 775, Chester
struck first in the 11th minute. Asante had already
gone close shooting just wide following good approach
play from Bradley Jackson, when he rose to head
home Matty Hughes’ right wing cross. The Blues
began to dominate and doubled their lead 11 minutes
later. A defence splitting through ball from the
excellent Joel Taylor saw Asante through on goal,
his initial shot his the post but he slammed home
the rebound as Chester took a two goal lead into
the break, and received a tremendous reception from
their fans as they left the pitch.
A fine save from Andy Wycherley at the feet on Asante
denied the striker a third goal but it duly arrived
on 62 minutes as Jackson’s burst of pace down
the right saw him cross, the ball was partially
saved by Wycherley but only into the path of Asante
who coolly found the net before grabbing the ball
and sticking it up his shirt.
Russell Griffiths made a great save with his legs
to deny Darry Knights, but on 69 minutes substitute
Lewis Reilly headed home unmarked to reduce the
arrears. Ten minutes from time Chester were down
to ten men as Jamie Morgan, who had deputised at
right back well for the injured Kevin Roberts was
given a straight red card for a heavy tackle on
Chris Lait.
A delighted joint manager Anthony Johnson said after
the game: “We look like we’re getting
better. Each performance looks like we’re
getting better. Some of the football that we played
was sublime, absolutely fantastic. You’ve
got a 34-year-old and 35-year-old centre back pairing
that have never played out from the back before
and they're looking like Baresi and Maldini.”
“It’s funny how it has flipped, the
scores and the confidence of both teams (from last
season). We did it against Hereford on Bank Holiday
when it was a big crowd and to do it again today,
with the noise they were making from the warm-up
right through. We love it, it’s a great place
to be at the minute and we’re all embracing
the stuff. It’s a good place to be at the
minute.”
Johnson dedicated the win to Jim Betts, a Chester
volunteer who died last week. The victory moves
Chester up to second place. Next Saturday the Blues
take a break from the league when they entertain
Altrincham at home in the Second Qualifying Round
of the FA Cup, kick-off 15.00hrs.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Latest
table
9 September 2019
FA CUP DRAW The
Blues have been given a home tie against Altrincham
in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. The
tie is scheduled to take place on Saturday 21 September.
The two sides have already met this season in the
league at Chester when Gary Roberts equalised in
stoppage time to earn a draw.
CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP
Chester will play Runcorn
Town away in the first round of the Cheshire Senior
Cup competition. The tie will take place on Wednesday
23 October, kick-off 19.45hrs.
CHESTER REMAIN THIRD
Two more goals from Akwasi
Asante and a third from Anthony Dudley gave Chester
a comprehensive 3-1 victory over third placed Guiseley
at home on Saturday. The visitors scored a late
consolation goal. The win leaves Chester third behind
King’s Lynn Town and York City who both drew
at the weekend. Next up is the short trip to AFC
Telford United on Saturday, kick-off 15.00hrs, where
the Blues are sure to have a large following of
support. Chester may well be without defender Kevin
Roberts who injured a hamstring on Saturday.
4 September 2019
BLUES BACK TO WINNING WAYS In
front of another impressive away following, Chester
got back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory a Curzon
Ashton on Monday night to move third in the table.
Like Saturday, Chester got off to a dream start
with Matty Hughes opening the scoring on five minutes
following fine build up play from Joel Taylor, George
Glendon and Simon Grand whose header set-up the
midfielder to find the back of the net.
The Nash drew level midway through the half through
a Matt Regan header after Chester had failed to
fully clear a corner, it was the home side who following
their equaliser finished the fist half on top.
However Chester were quick off their marks following
the interval and two goals in the first six minutes
set up their fifth victory of the season. Akwasi
Asante netted from 12 yards from a Bradley Jackson
cross on 47 minutes, and just four minutes later
defender Kevin Roberts headed a home a Taylor corner
giving Cameron Mason no chance in the home goal.
Both sides went on to create and miss chances in
the second period but Chester held firm.
Picture
© Rick Matthews
Latest
table
3 September 2019
STOPFORTH INJURY Midfielder
Gary Stopforth looks set to be out for up to six
weeks with a medial ligament strain to his knee,
the good news is, following a recent scan, he won’t
need an operation and the injury is not as bad as
the one that ruled him out for much of last season.
Meanwhile Gary Roberts could return to the side
for the clash against fourth placed Guiseley on
Saturday, following the injury he picked up in the
win at Kidderminster Harriers.
2 September 2019
LIVESEY SEES RED Danny
Livesey was sent off in bizarre circumstances at
Spennymoor Town on Saturday as the Blues were beaten
for the first time this season. With gary Roberts
and Gary Stopforth ruled out through injury, Chester
gave a debut to 24-year-old midfielder George Glendon
who signed on a short term deal 24hrs before.
Akwasi Asante had given Chester a seventh minute
lead latching onto a through ball before rounding
home ‘keeper Matt Gould and slotting the ball
home. Livesey was shown a yellow card late in the
first half and received a second one for entering
the field of play (following an injury) without
the referee Dean Hulme’s permission just before
half-time.
A mistake by Russell Griffiths in goal, who allowed
a shot from Andrew Johnson to slip through his legs,
allowed Moors an equaliser seven minutes into the
second period and with the game deep into stoppage
time Taylor tapped home from close range to grab
three points for the hosts.
Following the defeat joint manager bernard Morley
said: “I have to be careful what I say. We’ve
been robbed. What happens to a referee performance
that I’ve watched today? Does he get a fine?
Does he get suspended? I can’t tell him he’s
had a bad game because he'll send me off, Jonno
can’t tell him he's had a bad game, for the
same reason, and certainly the lads can’t
criticise what he’s done because he gets his
cards out.” “How
that’s managed in terms of what I’ve
watched today I’d be interested to see going
forward. If you’re a centre half with a
6ft 5ins centre forward backing in and you come
off with a massive gash on your eye, how is that
a foul the other way?”
“He goes off the pitch,
gets treatment and gets strapped back up. He then
believes the referee waved him back on, he then
comes on the pitch, play then starts and the referee
obviously hasn’t noticed him and gives a foul
against him again and thinks ‘wait a minute,
I’ve not asked you to come back on’
and then sends him off. It doesn’t make sense
what's happened.”
The defeat sees Chester drop two places to fifth
in the table. They have a chance to bounce back
on Monday night when they visit Curzon Ashton, kick-off
19.45hrs. The red card for Livesey will see him
miss the home clash on Saturday with Guiseley.
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