News from Deva Stadium April 2017

25 April 2017
DOWN TO THE LAST GAME
Chester's final home game of the season saw then soundly beaten 5-2 at Sutton United. The Blues who trailed 2-0 after ten minutes, and 4-0 just after the start of the seacond half, had James Alabi to thank for two late goals that prevented their goal difference from closing in on their relegation rivals. It will take a nine goal swing on the final day of the season for the Blues to now be relegated following a hugely disappointing second half of the season.

Chester end their campaign with a home game against Boreham Wood on Saturday, the game has a 12.15 kick-off time. The game is followed in the eveneing by the end of season Awards/Presentation night.

• League table heading into the final game

20 April 2017
CHAIRMAN STEPS DOWN
CFU Chairman Alan Povey has had to step down from the role for personal reasons. Povel took over the role last November when Simon Ollorenshaw resigned. Vice-chairman, Jonny Hughes, will now serve as acting chairman of the CFU until its Annual General Meeting in October.

In a statement Povey thanked the rest of the board saying: “To make this decision has simply been one of the hardest I have ever had to make. There will be much speculation I am sure, but the very fact of the matter is that I have given the role every ounce of energy I have and that has not only affected myself but my family too.”

“What we have as a football club is a special thing and I am big enough and ugly enough to know if I can no longer give a job or role 100% of my energy then it's time to step away, prolonging it would be unfair on the rest of the board, the supporters and all of those involved at the football club.”

“I would like to put on record my thanks to the rest of the board at Chester Football Club who have not only helped me as chair over the last five months, but when I was community director previously to that.”

18 April 2017
EASTER BLUES FOR CITY
Two defeats over the Easter weekend had left Chester just four points above the relegation places. On Friday Chester were under the cosh from the first minute at promotion hopefuls Forest Green Rovers with the home side running out comfortable 2-0 winners. Goals from Christian Doidge and Liam Noble were enough to for the West Country side to see off Chester for a third time this season. On a positive note James Akintunde returned to the squad following a six month injury lay-off and came off the bench at The New Lawn.

Akintundie said: “I was out for a long while and when you are out of the game for that amount of time then it’s hard to keep your head up. The fans, the team, the manager, everyone has been great for me. I’m really grateful and I just want to kick on and get fit. It’s been hard to just sit and watch the team as I just want to be out there and playing and helping out. I don’t feel that, because of my injury, I’ve had the chance to show the fans what I can do and I want to try and do that now if I can. I know I have to take it slow, though.”

Friday's defeat was followed on Monday by an agonising 3-2 home loss to Woking. Chester came from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 with just five minutes remaining before conceding twice to give relegation threatened Woking a vital victory and leave them a point behind the Blues.

After a goalless first half Brian Saah gave The Cards the lead seven minutes into the second period. Chester struck back immediately with Liam Davies scoring on his home debut to level matters. On 82 minutes Elliott Durrell looked to have sealed the points for Chester scoring from ten yards after good build up play from Akindunde.

Five minutes from time Terell Thomas squeezed an effort past Alex Lynch to level matters and in the 90th minute a handball by Luke George handed Woking the chance of the winning goal from the penalty spot that Gozie Ugwu converted.

Manager Jon McCarthy told the Chester Chronicle after the seventh successive home defeat: “It’s me, okay. We’ve worked very hard and we’ve put good teams out but there’s loads of other issues. But it’s me, I’m at the head and I’m responsible, everything is me.

“I’ve got players who work hard for me and I work hard and come in and do everything right but it’s me. You accept responsibility when things are going well and you have to accept it when it’s not. At the moment it is time for me to go away and keep working. There is a whole raft of reasons but I am here, I commit to it and I put teams out every single week, it’s what I do. I pick the teams and I try and get results. I accept responsibility.”

“They’ve not let me down. My players go out and they work for me and they train and give me everything. My players have not let me down and they have not let this football club down. They have put this football club into a good position, a position where we just need to finish it off. I don’t want anybody criticising the players. If you want to criticise me, fine, but not the players.”

Chester make their first ever visit to Sutton United on Saturday, kick-off 15.00hrs. The home side made the headlines earlier in the season with their tremendous run in the FA Cup. The Blues ran out 4-0 winners when the two sides met at Chester last August.

• League table after Woking defeat

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

12 April 2017
RICHARDS SEES RED IN LINCOLN DEFEAT
Kane Richards was sent off for the second time this season late in the game as Chester went down 1-0 at league leaders Lincoln City on Tuesday night. The Imps themselves finished with ten men. Blues gave a battling display but fell a goal behind ten minutes before half time as substitute Harry Anderson poked home from close range.

James Alabi saw a shot cleared off the line in the second period and Elliott Durrell forced a save from Paul Farman with a long range effort. Fifteen minutes from time Alan Power was sent off for Lincoln following challenge on Luke George. Chester failed to make their numerical advantage count and Richards received his marching orders at the start of seven minutes stoppage time for a challenge on Bradley Wood that saw the two benches coming together in a heated exchange.

10 April 2017
HOME SLUMP CONTINUES
Chester suffered a sixth successive home defeat when they were beaten 2-0 by a resurgent relegation threatened York City on Saturday, the Minstermen moved out of the bottom four following the victory. Both sides had chances in the early stages of the game before Vadaine Oliver ut York ahead on 25 minutes. Alex Lynch kept the Blues in the game with a couple of fine saves to deny Amari Morgan-Smith. Fifteen minutes from time Danny Holmes wrapped up the points for York.

4 April 2017
HORWOOD TO MISS THE REST OF THE SEASON
Evan Horwood looks likely to miss the rest of the season after limping off at Plainmoor on Saturday. Horwood suffered a medial knee ligament injury. Manager Jon McCarthy said: “It looks like we have lost Evan for the rest of the season, which is a blow. We had tried him in that role behind the strikers on Saturday as he has been effective in advanced positions for us and he is an excellent passer of the ball. But we’ll get him right, it’s just a blow as we were looking forward to seeing how he fared in that role given a run of games.”

3 April 2017
THREE ON THE SPIN FOR BLUES
While their home form may have deserted them in recent weeks, on the road the Blues can’t stop winning! Saturday’s 1-0 win at Torquay was their third away victory in succession following wins at Southport and Bromley.

A single goal from captain Sam Hughes eight minutes from time brought the points that guarantees Conference National football for another season, Hughes' effort took a deflection before finding the net to the delight of the Blues fans behind the goal. Chester had their own keeper Alex Lynch to thank for two great saves that denied the Gulls a share of the points.

The victory took Chester beyond the 50 points target and kept them in 13th place. On Saturday Chester entertain York City. The Minstermen are currently looking to avoid relegation and lie two pooints from safety in 22nd place. The two sides drew 1-1 at York back in October with Kane Richards scoring a 90th minute equaliser.

• League Table after Torquay victory

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