City slumped to their third defeat in a week and to add to their problems George Elokobi received Chester’s eighth red card of the season in the process. The Blues have failed to find the net in that trio of defeats and, once they had gone one down, showed little sign of addressing that problem as they crashed to their heaviest league defeat for years.

Gay Meadow has never been a happy hunting ground for the Blues but City’s gritty performance there back in April in front of over 1500 travelling fans seems light years away after this latest effort.

As at Blundell Park on Tuesday night, City did have the better of the opening exchanges. Stewart Drummond seeing a header from a Paul Carden corner cleared inside the first 30 seconds and Ashley Sestanovich shooting wide from 30 yards soon after.

Robbie Foy shot wide from distance before and Ben Davies had a curling free kick tipped over by Howie in the Shrews goal before Wayne Brown was called into action for the first time on 15 minutes cutting out Kevin Langmead’s cross.

Luke Rodgers headed over the bar when well placed before the home side took the lead on 27 minutes. Dangerman Rodgers beat Darren Edmondson and crossed from the left, the City defence failed to clear and Jamie Tollley bundled the ball home from close range.

Rodgers doubled the lead three minutes before the break as he picked the ball up and was allowed to run at the City defence without challenge before unleashing a 20-yarder that gave Brown no chance and the Shrews a 2-0 interval lead.

Manager Ian Rush brought on Cortez Belle for Sestanovich at half-time in an attempt to beef up the City attack however the game was put well beyond City’s reach as the home side added a third just before the hour mark. Once again Rodgers surged through the City defence and was adjudged by referee Paul Danson to have been pushed in the box by Elokobi. The on-loan defender was given a straight red card and Jake Sedgmore duly converted the spot kick to Brown’s left.

Sean Hessey and Edmondson and Davies found their way into the referee’s notebook as City fell to pieces. Ryan Lowe, a player City had been keen to sign in recent weeks, added a fourth goal on 65 minutes, his curling 20-yarder finding the top right hand corner of the net.

It was one way traffic now, Kevin Langmead and Tolley shot over before Langmead completed the nap hand on 77 minutes crashing home Lowe’s cross from six yards as many of the 570 City fans headed for an early exit.

City missed the chance to climb League Two with this defeat at a snow bound Blundell Park. Despite controlling the match for long periods, especially in the first half, the Blues failed to convert any of their chances highlighting once again their need for a proven goalscorer.

With Phil Bolland (injured) and Darren Edmondson (suspended) missing from the team that lost on Saturday, manager Ian Rush recalled on-loan George Elokobi and gave a full debut to Ashley Sestanovich against his former club. Robbie Foy continued in attack and was partnered by Joe O’Neill who got the nod ahead of fellow loan signing Taiwo Atieno, while Ben Davies played at right back.

Stacy Coldicott and Martin Gritton both tested Wayne Brown in the opening minutes as The Mariners tried to press home their advantage in front of the lowest league crowd of the season at Blundell Park.

City’s first foray resulted in a corner on 15 minutes. Ben Davies’ flag-kick was met by O’Neill but the young striker could only shoot over the bar from the edge of the penalty area. As the snow started to fall Richard Hope must have thought he’d got a penalty as he was bundled over in the box, however referee MIller waved away the appeals from both the City players and the 74 travelling fans.

The Blues continued to press and forced a couple of corners, though both were comfortably cleared by the home defence, Sestanovich also tried his luck from 25 yards but his shot sailed high over the crossbar. Minutes later shots from Michael Brown and Sean Hessey suffered a similar fate.

Graham Hockless and Stacy Coldicott both kept Brown on his toes with long range efforts before Williams in the opposite goal saved well from a 25-yarder by Robbie Foy to keep the scoreline level at the break.

City started the second half in similar fashion. Foy shot inches wide from 18 yards before the home side gradually came back into the game. Mariners substitute Andy Parkinson had a 30-yarder well saved by Brown before Foy set up a chance for Paul Carden only for the midfielder, like many before, to shoot over.

The only goal of the match came with ten minutes remaining. Dangerman Parkinson beat Hessey and crossed from the right, the City defence failed to clear leaving Gritton with the simple task to convert at the back post.

Despite encouraging performances from debutants Robbie Foy and Ashley Sestanovich, City lost out to Yeovil Town in a game punctuated with controversial refereeing decisions. Foy, signed on a month long loan from Liverpool, never stopped running all afternoon, and, with a bit of luck, would have marked his League debut with a goal.

Referee Boyeson set the tone for an indifferent afternoon showing Sean Hessey a yellow card after just two minutes following a challenge on Kevin Gall.

Taiwo Atieno got in City’s first attempt on goal as Weale comfortably collected his header following a good cross from Hessey. However, It was the Glovers who started brightest and almost took the lead in the opening minutes, through a well worked free-kick. Leading scorer Phil Jevons made a hash of the finish six yards out after a well worked quick one-two, had dissected the City defence.

Yeovil continued to press and created three half-chances with Johnson shooting high and wide on two occasions.

Foy almost made an immediate impact ten minutes later. Midfielder Michael Brown picked the ball up 30 yards out before slipping an inch-perfect pass through a static back four for Foy to race onto for a glorious opportunity. He took the ball wide before shooting left-footed but straight at Weale in the Yeovil goal. City were to rue that miss as Yeovil took the lead minutes later.

Referee Boyeson adjudged that Phil Bolland had fouled Bartosz Tarachulski on the right of the box. The City defence were guilty of ball watching as Tarachulski headed the kick down and Arron Davies had the straightforward task to fire home at the far post.

Tarachulski was given a free header again minutes later but this time his effort was saved by Wayne Brown.

Tarachulski was in the action again midway through the half this time clattering into Stewart Drummond with a terrible challenge in front of the dug-out’s knocking the defender straight to the ground with his arm. Inexplicably, after a discussion with his assistant, the player was shown just a yellow card by referee Boyeson who went on to caution Darren Edmondson for his protest – a caution that would later cost him dear.

Brown pulled off a great save to deny Tarachulski whose angled shot looked to be heading for goal, but minutes later Yeovil doubled their lead as Richard Hope was adjudged to have fouled Phil Jevons in the penalty area. Jevons sent Brown the wrong way with the spot-kick.

Former City defender Scott Guyett was on hand to head clear away a Ben Davies corner as the Blues searched for a way back. Foy found his way into the referee’s notebook following a foul on Guyett on the stroke of half-time.

Rush made two changes at the interval bringing on George Elokobi and Ashley Sestanowich for Michael Brown and the injured Phil Bolland.

Drummond tried a 30-yard effort ten minutes after the break, followed by similar efforts from Hessey and Sestanovich as the Blues were forced to try their luck from long range. Sestanovich, playing on the left, gave a solid display for City hardly putting a foot wrong on his debut. Edmondson was handily placed to block a Gill effort while at the other end Guyett seemed to be mopping up everything City could throw at him.

Foy did break through on a couple of occasions though and forced a great save from Weale as his powerful shot from a narrow angle looked to be heading inside the post.

Ten minutes from time Edmondson made a wreckless challenge on Davies and a red card was brandished followed his second yellow one of the game – he now misses the trip to Grimsby Town on Tuesday.

Stewart Drummond’s goal 14 minutes from time brought victory from City’s first-ever visit to Aggborough to lift them 13 points clear of a relegation place. The game, played in difficult conditions thanks to a swirling wind, was heading for a predictable stalemate before Drummond popped up four yards out to bundle home Sean Hessey’s left-wing cross in front of the travelling City fans in a game both sides couldn’t afford to lose.

Manager Ian Rush kept faith with the starting X1 that defeated Rushden seven days earlier as City looked to complete a second double on the bounce.

There was a scare in the fifth minute for City as Kiddy striker Jones fell in the box following a challenge from Hessey but to the relief of the watching City fans referee Crossley waved play-on. Joe O’Neill, starting his third game for City, attempted a lob from outside the box that produced a good save from Danby and the ‘keeper was in action again to tip over a piledriver free-kick from Hessey, similar to his strike that brought a goal last week.

Just before the half hour Michael Branch sent a shot yards wide as he miscued his back post effort after Taiwo Atieno had fed through the perfect pass for the striker.

The best chance of the first half fell to the home side however as neat work on the left from Jones teed up the perfect header for Birch only for the striker to see his looping header rebound off the bar and clear with Wayne Brown stranded.

Half-time came and City’s fans took full advantage of the Chicken Chow Mein and giant Balti pies on offer at the excellent food kiosk.

It was Harriers who started the better following the break. Brown was called into action to save well from both Blair Sturrock and Chris Beardsley.

Sturrock went close again for Kidderminster before Drummond headed City’s first chance of the half wide on 55.

Minutes later City were forced into a change as Branch, racing onto a through ball down left pulled up with a hamstring injury. Michael Brown immediately came on as a replacement and was soon in the action linking well with Atieno.

There was little action of note before Blues won a free-kick on the right which Davies took, the ball was only partly cleared by Dandy but O’Neill was unable to gather his footing to take advantage of the loose ball and it seemed City’s chance to sneak all three points had gone.

Minutes later City though got the breakthrough as Drummond was first to react and stab the ball home after persistent wing-play from Hessey.

O’Neill missed two great chances to double the lead in the dying minutes but the young striker wanted too long on the ball and the chances were cleared.

As I made may way across the cattle market car park towards the Saunders Honda Stadium I could hear Cleggy intoning the Chester line up for the afternoon. Wayne Brown was back in goal, then I Heard Edmondson’s name – and thought good he’s been out for too long;” then Bolland, Hope and Hessey. That sounded like a good solid back line again and Carden was returning after a two game suspension.

The hope was that City would have a better shape to them than last Tuesday’

This was shockingly awful. City were on an equal footing with the visitors for just a few minutes and might have taken the lead when O’Neil returned Higg’s poor clearance as the goal gaped. The Cheltenham keeper made it back in time to scoop the ball away for a corner. Just like the goal that wasn’t given at Tottenham recently, the linesman was sprinting like mad to see whether it crossed the line but was a long way off. City fans who were at that end assured me that it definitely didn’t reach that far.

Cheltenham took the lead when Guinan skipped clear on the left as City struggled to clear. His cross to the far post found Beach Boy namesake Brian Wilson who had oceans of room to sidefoot the ball into the net. Chester quite simply went to pieces. Their passing was appalling, there was no shape to their play and confidence seemed to drain visibly from them all. Drummond struggled to get things going in midfield and Bolland did his best to hold the defence together but it was dire and City never looked remotely like scoring.

Two substitutes were thrown on after the interval as Rush tried to change things around. Hessey came on for Hillier enabling Davies to leave the right back berth and shore up midfield and Vaughan was replaced by Atieno who played up front.

Still City struggled and Cheltenham found plenty of room when they came forward. They doubled their lead when Bolland and MacKenzie got in a mix up. Mackenzie ran out to clear a ball as Bolland ran back and just touched it back to the keeper who then sliced the ball to Guinan. The ex-Hereford striker struck it towards goal and, agonisingly it hit the post and came out again. The agony was Chester’s though because all had given it up as a lost cause and Gillespie ran in to steer the rebound into the net.

Hessey had a venomous shot just over the bar as City mustered a little bit of pressure but generally found it difficult to string any passes together. Branch tried to dribble his way round the back a couple of times but to no avail.

There was a defeated air around the Deva tonight and when Cheltenham were awarded a very harsh penalty when the ball struck Bayliss on the arm, there was barely a murmur of protest. By then it was into stoppage time and too late to matter. Bayliss compounded his misery moments later when he was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The meagre home crowd – only 1643 – were subdued and frustrated. The side that won the Conference championship only last May have almost all departed. There was little semblance of any team shape or spirit on the pitch on Tuesday night. It was a performance that had relegation stamped all over it and must provoke a reaction from both Ian Rush and chairman Stephen Vaughan.