News from Deva Stadium February 2014

Jamie Reed is set to leave the Blues to take up a coaching role in Australia. Reed, who was born in Chester, signed on a one year contract from York City last summer and scored three goals in 16+10 appearances for the Blues.

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

26 February 2014
BLUES HOLD ON FOR VITAL WIN

A hat-trick from on-loan striker Matty Taylor helped Chester to a 4-3 victory at relgation rivals Tamworth last night. Nearly 400 Blues fans witnessed an evening full of drama that saw Chester race into a 3-0 lead with a brace from Taylor and a stunning effort from man of the match John Rooney, before a Tamworth reply just before half-time reduced the lead.

Taylor completed his treble on the hour mark but the introduction of substitute Jessy Reindorf caused the Blues defence all sorts of problems as two further Tamworth goals late in the game made for a nervous last few minutes.

The victory lifts Chester to 19th as they approach a crucial March month that sees eight league games including ones against relegation rivals Dartford and Aldershot Town away, as well as Southport and Tamworth at home.

• Table after Tamworth match

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

25 February 2014
DANIALS JOINS ON NON-CONTRACT
Former Crewe Alexandra winger Brendon Daniels has joined Chester on a non-contract basis. Fans may remember him having a loan spell with Chester last season before an injury forced his return to Alex. He has recently been on trial for Gateshead.

24 February 2014
WELL EARNED POINT FOR CHESTER

A second half goal from on-loan striker Matty Taylor brought Chester a point form their match at Lincoln City on Saturday. A poor first half performance saw Chester trailing 1-0 at the break as a moment of hesitancy by Aaron Chapman allowed Delano Sam-Yorke to score. Taylor brought the Blues level seven minutes after the break latching onto a long through ball and shooting past Nick Townsend in the Imps goal. Chester began to take control of the game and created several chances to extend their lead with Matty Brown, Gareth Seddon and substitute Jamie Menagh all going close. In between all these chances Lincoln missed the opportunity to retake the lead when Chapman dived full length to save an Alan Power penalty, awarded following a handball by Brown.

Manager Steve Burr felt it was two points dropped for the Blues: “I thought the lads worked very, very hard and there was a terrific following for the lads and they didn’t get their rewards because I felt we dominated the second half and we should have won the game. It was particularly frustrating in the second half because I felt there was one winner. I thought we were virtually camped in their half and how we never scored the second I'll never know. We just never really quite got going in the first half, we were a bit open so we changed the shape a little bit.”

• Table after Lincoln match

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

20 February 2014
CUP KNOCKOUT FOR CHESTER
Chester relinquished their hold on the Cheshire Senior Cup when they were beaten 2-0 at home by Macclesfield Town on Tuesday. Manager Steve Burr made nine changes to the side that beat FC Halifax Town in the previous match giving full starting debut to Liam Blake, a debut from the bench for Tom Batten, and there was a welcome return in midfield after three months out with injury of Nathan Turner.

An under hit back pass from Ross Killock four minutes before the break gifted former player Chris Holroyd the opening goal for Macc. Blake almost scored a debut goal on the stroke of half-time but his effort was well saved by visiting ‘keeper Richard Branagan. There were few chances after the break and Scott Bowden wrapped up the victory four minutes from time heading past Martin Fearon to put the Silkmen into the semi-finals.

The Blues are back in action on Saturday with a visit to 14th placed Lincoln City, kick-off 15.00hrs.

18 February 2014
CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP
Chester continue their defence of the Cheshire Senior Cup with a home match against Macclesfield Town tonight, kick-off 19.45hrs. Admission prices are as follows: Adults £8.00, Concessions £5.00, Under 16s £3.00. Just the main stand will be open tonight. The tie will be played to a conclusion with extra-time and penalties used if needed. Car parking is free tonight and the Blues Bar will be open from 18.30.

NO BREAK FOR CHAPMAN
Goalkeeper Aaron Chapman will be able to continue his loan spell at Chester after an x-ray reveled he hadn’t broken any bones following his hand injury in Thursday’s home victory over FC Halifax Town, though he did suffer a dislocated hand. Chapman made an impressive debut for the Blues but had to be replaced by John Danby with 20 minutes left after injuring his hand attempting to claim a cross. He will continue to train with both Chesterfield and Chester and there is a slim chance he may be back from injury for the trip to Lincoln City on Saturday.

14 February 2014
BURR DELIGHTED WITH BLUES VICTORY

Manager Steve Burr was delighted with the character shown by his team who earned a dramatic injury time victory over FC Halifax Town on Thursday night. Craig Mahon (pictured) had given Chester the lead ten minutes into the second half and the Blues looked to be heading for three points against the Shaymen until James Bolton pounced on a deflection in the Blues area to rifle home an equaliser four minutes into stoppage time. But, as against Barnet in Burr’s first match in charge when the Blues also conceded late on, Chester attacked straight from the kick-off and substitute Jamie Menagh took advantage of hesitancy in the Halifax defence to dink the ball over ex-Blue ‘keeper Matt Glennon for a dramatic 95th minute winner.

Aaron Chapman was given a debut in goal and he commanded his area well and impressed throughout until a hand injury forced him off twenty minutes from time. There was also a solid debut for fellow Chesterfield loanee Matty Brown in the Chester defence. Halifax were reduced to ten men in the first half with Josh Wilson dismissed for a foul on Blues skipper on the night Gareth Seddon.

Burr said after the match: “When they equalised it was a terrible feeling but then you get the other feeling when we go up and get the winner. That was fantastic. They are bouncing in the dressing room and rightly so when you've won a game like that. I was pleased because I knew how different it could have been had we come in at 1-1. It would have been a disappointed dressing room and we wouldn’t have deserved that.”

“It was a big blow to lose the young keeper because he had done very well for us. He’s only a young lad and he’s very enthusiastic. I think he’s broken his hand and it didn’t look too good when he came off. That was a blow and little things like that seem to be going against us but fair play to us, we got the winner in the end which was fantastic.”

• Table after FC Halifax match | Match highlights

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

GARY JONES LEAVES CHESTER
Assistant manager Gary Jones has left Chester. Jones joined Chester with manger Neil Young from Colwyn Bay in May 2010 and played a key part in the great success of the club over the last three seasons. He was short listed for the managerial vacancy when Young left Chester. Vice chairman Steve Ashton said: “Gary has played a significant part in the rise of our club. He’s a great bloke, who has been a pleasure to work with. We thank him on behalf of all Chester fans and he leaves with our best wishes.”

13 February 2014
HALIFAX MATCH ON
Following a ground inspection after last night’s storms the club have confirmed that tonight’s televised match against FC Halifax Town is on. Note that the game will now kick-off at 19.45hrs.

11 February 2014
NEW DATE FOR ALDERSHOT MATCH
Chester’s league game at Aldershot Town will now take place on Tuesday 11 March, kick-off 19.45hrs.

10 February 2014
FREE ADMISSION FOR UNDER 16’S ON THURSDAY
The club have announced that Under 16’s can watch this Thursday night’s BT Sport televised home game against FC Halifax Town for free and prices have also been reduced for students and clubs in the Chester and District Football League. The game is the club’s annual community-focused MBNA Day fixture, students will be able to watch the match for £5.00 and £10.00 tickets are available to Chester and District Football League clubs.

8 February 2014
SHOTS GAME OFF
Today’s league game at Aldershot Town has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

7 February 2014
TWO NEW LOAN SIGNINGS
Chester have signed two more loan players, both are from Chesterfield. Aaron Chapman is a 22-year-old goalkeeper who joined the Spireites last summer from Belper Town while 23-year-old Matty Brown is a central defender who Chesterfield signed from Marine. Both are on loan until 7 March.

WREXHAM MATCH
The home match against Wrexham on Saturday 19 April will now have a noon kick-off. Wrexham will receive 1,200 tickets for the game.

5 February 2014
DARTFORD MATCH ON TV
Chester’s away match at Dartford will now be screened live on BT Sport. It will be played on Friday 7 March, kick-off 19.45hrs. The match will be screened in the Blues Bar for those from Chester not making the trip to Kent.

BLUES DEFEAT AT MACCLESFIELD

Chester were beaten 3-2 at Macclesfield Town last night, their third straight defeat all of which have seen them concede three goals. The Blues lie one place above the relegation zone and one point above Tamworth but the Staffordshire side, who Chester have yet to play this season, have three matches in hand.

Gareth Seddon (pictured) gave Chester the lead on 19 minutes latching on to Matty Taylor’s through ball to score past Rhys Taylor in the Macc goal. Chester’s lead lasted barely three minutes before Scott Boden rose unmarked at the far post to head home the equaliser. Seddon had a goal disallowed for offside before the Silkmen took advantage of some more poor defending to take the lead ten minutes before the break as Steve Williams headed home a Peter Winn free-kick.

Once again Chester had the ball in the net only for the linesman to flag Linwood’s effort offside. Seven minutes after the restart former Blue Chris Holroyd scored a third for Macclesfield heading home after the Blues defence failed to deal with Jack Mackreth’s cross. Chester created several chances of note and pulled a goal back two minutes from time as John Rooney volleyed home. There was still time for an equaliser but Seddon spurned the best chance in stoppage time lifting the ball over from six yards out.

Manager Steve Burr told the Chester Leader following the latest defeat: “We can’t keep giving balls away like we have been doing and I’m very disappointed about that. The pleasing part is that we created plenty of chances compared to Saturday, but I was disappointed about the two goals that were ruled out for offside but that’s just the way sometimes things go.”

“But I was really disappointed about the ease at which we allowed to Macclesfield to score. The players have got to start helping themselves. They are honest enough, but they were naive. To go in front and then concede two goals in the way we did was pretty embarrassing really.”

Chester are back in action on Saturday with a trip to Aldershot Town who lie one place and two points above the Blues.

• Table after Macclesfield match

Picture © Rick Matthews (Chester Leader)

3 February 2014
NIGEL WALKER 1959-2014

Former Chester City player Nigel Walker has died at the age of 54 after a long fight with cancer. The Gateshead-born inside-forward made 41 league appearances in his only season at Sealand Road and the nine goals he scored during that 1984/85 campaign placed him second behind Stuart Rimmer.

• Obituary

MATTY MAINWARING
Chester have signed 23-year-old midfielder Matty Mainwaring on a non-contract basis until the end of the season. The former Stockport County player watched Chester’s defeat against Welling United from the stand on Saturday. Mainwaring was released by County at the end of last season and played 11 matched for Hyde this season and spent a period on loan at Macclesfield Town though didn’t play for the Silkmen.

BLUES PAY FOR DEFENSIVE ERRORS
Chester turned in a poor first half against Welling United and were made to pay as the Kent side eventually ran out 3-1 winners on Saturday. Harry Cornick opened the scoring for the visitors on 17 minutes racing on to a defence splitting through ball, and five minutes before the break John Danby lost the ball to Tobi Sho-Silva whose simple pass allowed Ross Lafayette to score from close range. A third goal from long range by Joe Healy eight minutes after the break put the game beyond Chester. New signing Matty Taylor pulled a goal back for the Blues on his debut but the defeat was compounded in the last minute with Ross Killock being sent-off for picking up a needless second yellow card.

Manager Steve Burr said: “Collectively as a team we have got to do a lot better. I think maybe we thought we would go out there and pass it around them without doing the ugly side of it. Welling worked very hard in the first half in particular and that's something we need every week and you can never not do that.”

Chester must pick themselves up quickly for their next match away at Macclesfield Town on Tuesday night, kick-off 19.45hrs. Killock will now miss the game through suspension.

• Table after Welling match

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