Tuesday
2 August Chester 1 Burnley U21 2
Pre-Season Friendly
Attendance: 577 Half Time 1-0
Booked: -.
Chester:
Worsnop, Evans, Astles (Mahon 46), Vassell (Jones 46),
Hunt (Waters 46), George (Shaw 46), Hughes, Joyce, Durrell
(Crawford 60), Alabi (Edwards 46), Akintunde. Subs not
used: Roberts.
Burnley U21: Mitchell, Birch (Koiki 63), Dummigan,
Yao, Anderson, Dunne (Olomowewe 72), Jackson (Chakwana
60), Thomas, Murdock, Metz (McNeil 70), Leitch (Agyei
46). Subs not used: King, Howarth. Referee: Joe Johnson (Liverpool).
James Akintunde gives Chester a first half lead but
The Clarets strike twice after the break to run out
winners in this final pre-season warm up. Manager Jon
McCarthy used the final match to rest Blaine Hudson
and Kane Richards who were both carrying knocks while
Theo Vassell returned to the side from injury.
Chester had plenty of possession early on but created
few chances, with James Alibi missing the goal from
a narrow angle the best of the efforts. The Blues broke
the deadlock after Sam Hughes and Clarets goalkeeper
Conor Mitchell had challenged for a cross and Akintunde
scored from the loose ball heading home from a narrow
angle.
The Blues held onto the lead until the 57th minute when
Frazier Murdock scored from close range. The Clarets
scored their second on 72 minutes as Dan Agyei outpaced
Sam Hughes before scoring past Jon Worsnop.
One final concern for McCarthy was the sight of Craig
Mahon limping off after a late heavy challenge.
Chester are well beaten by Championship side Burton Albion
in their latest pre-season friendly. The Brewers dominated
the first half pushing Chester back for the majority of
it. Blues goalkeeper Liam Roberts was tested in the opening
minutes pushing away a powerful 20-yard effort from Damien
McCory.
An accidental clash between Craig Mahon and Tom Flannagan
saw the Burton player unfortunately stretchered off in
a neck brace. McCory had two more efforts on goal before
the visitors broke the deadlock on 21 minutes, Stuart
Beavon turning home a left wing cross past Roberts.
At the other end Jordan Chapell lobbed over the bar following
a quickly taken Evan Horwood free-kick. Horwood was replaced
soon after with a slight hamstring injury to be replaced
by Johnny Hunt.
Kane Richards headed wide at the back post following a
corner as Chester spurned their best chance of the half
just before the break. Four minutes after the restart
Burton doubled their lead through a close range Lucas
Atkins header.
Chapell and Richards both forced saves and substitute
Elliott Durrell saw a 25-yard free-kick fly just over
the bar as Chester looked to pull a goal back.
Four minutes from time through Atkins scored his second
and Burton’s third with a well taken shot from the
edge of the box giving Roberts no chance.
Rate
Chester’s performance
Tuesday
26 July Nantwich Town 1 Chester 1
Pre-Season Friendly
Attendance: 322 Half Time 1-1
Booked: -.
Nantwich Town:
Parton, White (Bourne 71), Touray (Bennion 71),
Harrison (Curtis Jones 45), Bailey, Riley, S.Jones (Cal
Jones 78), Hall (Jackson 78), Stair (G.Abadaki), Cooke
(Kapend 71), Gordon (O.Abadaki 71). Subs not used: Moorhead,
Cabaye.
Chester: Roberts (Worsnop 45), Horwood (Evans
80), George (Joyce 68), Hudson (Hughes 78), Astles, Shaw
(Reeves 80), Durrell (Mahon 68), Hunt, Waters, Akintunde
(Chapell 68), Alabi (Richards 45). Subs not used: Evans,
Reeves. Referee: TBA.
Chester remained unbeaten in pre-season after Elliott
Durrell scored his first goal for Chester to earn a draw
at Northern Premier League side Nantwich Town.
After a bright opening The Dabbers took the lead on 17
minutes with the experienced Steve Jones giving Liam Roberts
no chance with a well struck 25-yarder after the Blues
defence had failed to properly clear a corner.
Chester responded well, James Alibi sent an effort from
the edge of the box just wide and trialist Oluwaseun Akintunde,
who had impressed with a hat-trick at Marine on Saturday,
headed over when well placed following a pinpoint Durrell
cross.
The Blues drew level on 31 minutes as Durrell scored from
short range despite the linesman’s flag raised for
an offside.
After the break Akintunde forced Dave Parton in the home
goal to pull off a fine save. With a host of substitutions
in the second period both sides lost momentum and chances
were at a premium, those that were created fell mainly
to the home side who almost grabbed a winner late on through
Ryan Jackson only for the Nantwich substitute to be denied
by Jon Worsnop.
Rate
Chester’s performance
Saturday
23 July Marine 3
Chester 5
Pre-Season Friendly
Attendance: 292 Half Time 1-5
Booked: -.
A first half hat-trick from 20-year-old trialist James
Akintunde saw Chester come away from Marine with a victory.
Akintunde, who has previously played fro Cambridge United,
was one of a number of trialist's on show and grabbed
his opportunity with three well taken goals in just ten
minutes.
Matty Waters gave Chester the lead on 18 minutes with
a long range curling free-kick. Akintunde opened his account
on 28 minutes converting a James Baille cross. Two minutes
later he added a second meeting Waters’ cross and
beating Matty Cooper in the home goal at the near post.
Six minutes from the break Akintunde latched onto a through
ball and rounded Cooper to slot home and complete his
hat-trick and score Chester’s fourth.
Sam Hughes gave Chester a 5-0 lead from the penalty spot
before Marine pulled a goal back to complete the first
half scoring through Chad Whyte.
Chester made five changes at the break
and goalkeeper Keighan Jones produced a fine save to
deny substitute Callum Byrne adding a second Marine
goal, but he could do nothing moments later to prevent
Warren Bellew finding the net.
Elliot Nevitt almost added a sixth
for Chester, his effort crashing back off the crossbar
before James Foley added a third for Marine, with a
20-yarder, two minutes from time to complete the scoring.
Rate
Chester’s performance
Wednesday
20 July Chester 3 Airbus UK Broughton
2
Pre-Season Friendly
Attendance: 589 Half Time 2-0
Booked: -.
A late goal from Craig Mahon brings Chester victory after
the Blues had led 2-0 at the break. Welsh Premier League
opponents Airbus had stepped in at the last minute to
replace the Bolton Wanderers X1 who cancelled their planned
visit, and fielded two ex-Blues in Matty McGinn and Ashley
Williams in their starting line-up.
Chester took the lead on 28 minutes wih Kane Richards
heading home an Evan Horwood cross. The Blues doubled
their lead four minutes before the break as Richards was
fouled in the area by Paul Connolly, James Alibi stepped
up to score from the resulting penalty.
A well struck goal from trialist Fabio Bassangue just
after the break saw Airbus back into the game and the
visitors went on to equalise in the 64th minute with a
deflected Kevin Montiero shot.
Manager Jon McCarthy made four substitutions and with
four minutes remaining Chester notched a late winner through
Craig Mahon.
While we didn’t see every familiar face we were
expecting at Altrincham, with the news that Robins’
summer signing Craig Hobson had taken a knock, it was
good to have a chat with ex-Chester manager Neil Young
when we arrived for this pre-season friendly.
Jamie Menagh also started for Altrincham,
while the Blues named triallists Joe Heath, Rakim Newton,
Wade Joyce, Kevin Exell and goalkeeper Keighan Jones.
But it was Kane Richards who made the first impression
on the game when he scored for Chester within the first
25 minutes.
Another familiar name this time
Damian Reeves – featured on the scoresheet when
he replied for Altrincham with a well-taken goal on
the 15th minute of the second half. Then ex-Chester
loanee Danny Hattersley made it 2-1 to Altrincham less
than 10 minutes later. But Chester substitute James
Alibi replied soon after that with a good run into the
box and strike less than 10 minutes later to even the
score up.
Sue Choularton
Both Liam Roberts and Jon Worsnop made a series of good
saves as Chester fought well to hold a strong Wigan side.
The Latics started the stronger side and Roberts denied
both Craig Davies and Yanic Wildschut as the visitors
pressed for an early goal.
Chester had the best chance of the opening half just before
the break as James Alibi broke clean through only for
Lee Nicholls in the visitors’ goal to deny the striker.
The Blues defence with Ryan
Astles and Blaine Hudson forming a good partnership,
were holding firm as Wigan, who made a raft of changes
at the break, pressed in the second period. Worsnop
made a fine save to deny Emyr Huws from long range,
and Sam Cosgrove cleared the bar when he should have
done better from close range.
Worsnop denied Huws again before Kane Richards almost
opened the scoring latching on to a loose back pass
but the deflected effort just went wide of the post.
Chester’s pre-season preparations got up and running
with a 4-0 victory at Sandbach United. Manager Jon McCarthy
was forced into a change in the starting line-up as a
finger injury forced Jon Worsnop out meaning a full 90
minutes for loan signing Liam Roberts. There were also
six trialist’s on show: Joe Heath, Ryan Edwards,
Aaron Hassall, Kevin Exell, Rakim Newton and Wade Joyce.
Kane Richards opened the scoring just
after the half hour with a fine long range shot following
a Ryan Astles through ball.
Six minutes into the second
period James Alibi added a second following an exchange
of passes with Jonny Hunt. Trialist Edwards (ex-TNS)
slotted home the third goal on 65 minutes.
Hunt and Craig Mahon both forces saved from Joe Grant
in the home goal before Hunt wrapped up the scoring
with a free-kick seven minutes from time.
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