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29
September 2006
LATE TEST FOR LINWOOD
City
could be without defender Paul
Linwood for tomorrow’s
home clash with Bristol Rovers. Linwood (left) picked
up a knee injury
at MK Dons last
Saturday and as a result was forced to miss the midweek
draw at Macclesfield. The defender will face a fitness
before kick-off. Jonathan Walters and Dean Bennett
have both now recovered from recent injuries.
City
haven’t won in front of their own fans since
the opening day victory over Accrington Stanley and
must be looking for maximun points to add to the four
already collected this week.
The Pirates sit one place below City on goal difference
following their midweek 2-1 home win over Hereford
United
and will include loan signing from Charlton Athletic
James Walker.
Picture © Evening
Leader
28 September 2006
BRIAN BIGGINS 1940-2006
Former Chester goalkeeper, Brian
Biggins, died earlier this month. Our condolences go
out to his family and friends.
• Obituary
27 September 2006
SECOND HALF SHOWING BRINGS A
POINT
For
the second time in four days City produced a spirited
second half performance, after a poor first half showing,
to pick up a point from Moss Rose, indeed it could have
been all three but for some fine saves by Tommy Lee
in the home goal.
Poor defending allowed Mark Bullock to open the scoring
for Macc as early as the tenth minute but once again
the introduction of substitute Jonathan Walters after
the break seemed to kick-start the Blues who had former
Silkman Kevin Sandwith to thank for their eqaliser (left).
After the match manager Mark Wright told the Daily Post:
“In the second half there was only one side in
it and we should have killed them off. We had a number
of chances as well as having what I thought was a stone
wall penalty turned down. On the positive side we have
taken four points from the two away games we’ve
played in the last four days and that is extremely encouraging.
I am hoping to add a right-sided wing player in the
next few days. I have had the green light from the chairman,
and hopefully that deal can be concluded on Thursday
or Friday.”
The Blues will no doubt be trying to build on the last
two performances on the road when they entertain Bristol
Rovers at Deva Stadium on Saturday. The Pirates play
tonight and could catch City on 12 points with a home
victory over Hereford United.
Picture © Evening
Leader
25 September 2006
WRIGHT HAPPY WITH WIN
Manager Mark Wright was happy with the Blues performance
as they came from behind to inflict the first home defeat
of the season on Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday. Second
half goals from Ashley Westwood and Jonathan Walters
brought three points against a depleted Dons side that
had taken a first half lead through Clive Pratt.
Wright said: “We’ve been very unlucky in
the last few weeks. We’ve lost games we shouldn't
have - in fact I thought we should have had at least
four points from the matches against Notts County and
Grimsby Town. We’ve been missing
too many chances, and it was great to see Jon (Walters)
come back and score the winner.”
The
Blues are next in action tomorrow night when they travel
across Cheshire to play bottom club Macclesfield Town.
City have no fresh injury worries though Mark Wright
could well be tempted to start with Dean Bennett and
Jon Walters who both made an impact after coming off
the bench at Milton Keynes.
Defender Kevin Sandwith (left) makes a first-return
to the club he left in the summer. The Silkmen currently
lie
bottom of the league and have have failed to win this
season but battled back for a 3-3 draw with Torquay
United on Saturday.
Picture © Evening Leader
22 September 2006
BENNETT SET FOR RETURN
The
Blues could welcome back midfielder Dean Bennett (left)
tomorrow as they travel to play fifth placed Milton
Keynes Dons. Bennett has suffered with a back injury
in recent weeks since picking up the knock at Hereford
United and played in the reserves defeat in midweek.
Striker Jonathan Walters could also return for City
after shaking off an ankle injury picked up at Wycombe
two weeks ago.
The home side will be without Izale McLeod, Jon-Paul
McGovern and Aaron Wilbraham who are all suspended as
well as well as Gary Smith, Craig Morgan and Jamie Smith
who are all injured.
Picture © Evening
Leader
BYE FOR CITY
Chester have been given a bye for the first round of
the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The 32 teams not
receiving byes have been split into four geographical
sections for the first round – for which the full
draw is tomorrow morning. Once the 48 clubs were divided
into northern and southern sections, a preliminary draw
took place today which saw eight teams, including Chester
City, from each section drawn out to receive byes. Unlike
previous years, Conference National teams are not involved.
20 September 2006
RESERVES BEATEN
The reserves were beaten 4-0 at home by Blackpool tonight.
RESERVES IN ACTION
The
reserve side host Blackpool at Deva Stadium tonight
in a Pontins Holiday League Division One West match.
Trialing for City will be ex-Liverpool striker James
Frayne (19) who was released from Anfield in the summer.
Manager Mark Wright will be casting an eye over the
youngster who is out to win a full-time contract. Wright
said: “We will have a good look at James in training,
and in reserve team games, and then make a decision
on his future with the club. He comes to us with a good
pedigree and good references, so it is up to him to
prove that he is worthy of a full contract.” The
game tonight will kick-off at 19:00hrs.
• Reserve
fixtures | Table
18 September 2006
HOME BLUES FOR CITY
Just as the Blues looked to be
heading for a second successive stalemate, goals in
the 90th and 94th minute from Grimsby Town brough City’s
third home defeat in five matches and continued to heap
misery on another alarmingly sub-2,000 crowd. The Blues
have failed to win now for eight matches and have slid
to 19th in League Two.
The
manager Mark Wright pointed to a lack of firepower for
this latest reverse as he told the press after the game:
“The bottom line is we are all here to be shot
at and the crowd had every right to complain. The players
are not doing their jobs. I don’t think either
of our strikers had a shot and they must take it on
the chin. We got in some good positions but we just
aren’t converting our chances.
We should have been 3-0 up at the break, as there was
only one team in it. But we didn’t take our chances,
and it cost us. I don’t think my strikers had
a shot all game and that’s not good enough. When
the man-of-the-match goes and makes a massive error,
it’s hard to take, it’s not the way I defended
when I was playing. You should never hesitate in your
own box, and I’m really annoyed with the way the
goals came about after we looked so comfortable.
The crowd have every right
to have a dig and have a go at us. Stephen Vaughan
in the first half ran to the byline at pace and all
he could hit was the near post and we’re all
hanging outside the back stick. Even Pele couldn’t
have hit that ball to the back stick.
I’m not a happy manager
– I don’t mind if the crowd give me stick,
but the one thing they can’t accuse us of is
not knowing what we’re doing – because
we do.
Laurence Wilson was in some
great positions when it was still 0-0, but he has to
get at people. He had a chance at one point, but he
hit it first time which wasn’t good enough. He
has so much ability and we wanted him one-on-one with
the right back, taking him on and getting penalties,
getting closer, and scoring goals. I’m frustrated
and really annoyed about the way the two Grimsby goals
came about. It wasn’t acceptable in anyone’s
book, I don’t care what anybody says.
The bottom line is that we’re all here to be shot
at – managers, players, club staff, but the players
didn’t do their job and that is not acceptable.”
Picture © Evening
Leader
15 September 2006
DUO DOUBTFUL
Both summer signings from Wrexham
Jon Walters and Dean Bennett are doubtful for the visit
of Grimsby Town to Deva Stadium tomorrow. Walters suffered
an ankle injury at Wycombe last Saturday while Bennett’s
back injury has been more long-term. The Mariners currently
lie two places below City on goal difference and have
lost all four League games on their travels this season
without scoring. City will be looking for their first
win since the victory
at
Bury
back
on 8 August. Tomorrow’s game kick’s-off
at 15:00hrs.
JOHNSTONE’S
PAINT TROPHY
The draw for the first round
of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy (formally the
LDV) will take place a week tomorrow, 23 September,
on SKY Sports’ Soccer AM programme. First round
games will take place during the week commencing 16
October.
14 September 2006
LINWOOD FEE SET BY TRIBUNAL
Chester
have been ordered to pay Tranmere Rovers £15,000
for defender Paul
Linwood following today’s tribunal held by
the Football League. The Blues must also hand over 10%
of any sell-on they may receive above this amount in
the future.
Before joining the Blues in the summer, Linwood had
previously made 42+11 first team appearances for the
Prenton Park club as well as 8+1 on loan at Wrexham
during August-October 2005. The tribunal order is binding,
there is no case of appeal.
After the Old Trafford hearing club chairman Steve Vaughan
said: “We received an extremely fair hearing and
I feel that the judgement is fair. We anticipated that
we may have to pay anything up to £30,000, but
in the end I think all parties are reasonably happy
with the outcome.”
13 September 2006
CITY DROP A PLACE
Accrington Stanley’s 5-0 victory over Wrexham tonight lifts them above
City into 16th place on
goal difference.
WRIGHT HAPPY WITH IMPROVEMENT
Manager
Mark Wright declared himself satisfied after City
ground out a point with a 0-0 home draw against Notts
County last night. The Blues enjoyed plenty of possession
but once again failed to test the opposition goalkeeper
with a single shot throughout the 90 minutes; in
fact
the Blues didn’t even force a corner. The lack
of an out-and-out striker is becoming more apparent
with every match and will be top of Wright’s
priorities.
Wright said: “I thought
it was a very good performance by the lads, their
commitment was first class. We just lacked that little
bit of a cutting edge when we got into their box,
but overall I was very pleased with the performance.”
The Deva Stadium crowd of only 1,818 followed a series
of disappointing results that has seen the Blues pick
up only one from the previous 15 points, another home
game this Saturday and live football on TV will also
have contributed to the low turnout.
City next entertain Grimsby
Town on Saturday, kick-off
15:00hrs. The Mariners currently lie two places below
City and have lost all four league matches on their
travels
this
season.
Picture © Evening Leader
12 September 2006
VAUGHAN STAYS WITH CITY
City
captain Stephen Vaughan has turned down the chance to
join Boston United on loan.
He told the Daily Post: “I am extremely flattered
by the approach from Boston, but I am the Chester captain,
and I am Chester City through and through. I want to
be a part of the progress we will make this season.
We have a great bunch of players here at the Deva, and
while the results in the last few games haven’t
gone for us, when this new squad gels it will be a force
to be reckoned with.”
Meanwhile City are back in action tonight when they
entertain seventh placed Notts County at Deva Stadium,
kick-off 19:45hrs. The Blues will be without striker
Jon Walters who picked up an injury on Saturday and
is expected to be sidelined for two weeks.
Picture © Evening Leader
11 September 2006
VAUGHAN ENQUIRY FROM BOSTON
League Two outfit Boston United have approached Chester
regarding a loan deal for captain Stephen Vaughan. The
Lincolnshire outfit currently have only 14 fit players
and Boston manager Steve Evans approached Chester on
Sunday with an initial enquiry. He told Boston’s
official website: “If the loan deal goes ahead
and Stephen does well we will certainly look to make
it permanent because he is good in a number of positions.”
ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR CITY
City
slipped three places to 16th following Saturday’s
1-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers. The Blues failed to
really test the home side after they were reduced to
ten men after just 26 minutes following the dismissal
of Anthony Grant for a second yellow card. The only
goal of the game came two minutes later as Kevin Betsy
rose unchallenged six yards out to head home Scott Golbourne’s
cross.
After the match a disappointed assistant manager Graham
Barrow (left) said: “Sometimes it can be harder
to play against 10 men, but we were not firing up front.
It just wasn’t good enough – we didn’t
really stretch them or get behind them, in the last
10 to 15 minutes we didn’t put them under any
pressure to speak of. We needed to throw the kitchen
sink at them, and we just didn’t do that.”
City need to bounce back quickly from this latest setback
and will have the opportunity tomorrow night when they
entertain Notts County at Deva Stadium, kick-off 19:45hrs.
The Blues will be without striker Jon Walters who picked
up an injury on Saturday and is expected to be sidelined
for two weeks.
DEFEAT ALSO FOR YOUTH TEAM
The youth team lost their latest match at Oldham Athletic on Saturday 1-0.
• Fixtures | Table | Stats
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8 September 2006
WESTWOOD RETURNS TO THE SQUAD
Defender
Ashley Westwood (left) returns to the City squad for
tomorrow’s
League Two match at fifth placed Wycombe Wanderers
(kick-off
15:00hrs) having recovered from a hip injury sustained
at the Wrexham game; Dean Bennett though is ruled
out.
City have only picked up one point from the last 12
with manager Mark Wright blaming basic defensive
errors
for the poor run of form.
He told the Chester Evening Leader.
“We’ve looked at ourselves and trained
very hard this week, because the goals we’ve
been conceding have been basic mistakes. We can only
tell the players what is right and wrong before they
go out to play, and the fact that we’ve got
a lot of new faces gives them a little bit of a lifeline.
But at the same time it doesn’t wash with me
any more – they’ve got to be bigger and
braver. The players aren’t under pressure and
I’m not under pressure from the chairman. I
know the fans want results, but the margin between
success and failure in our league is very slight.”
Wycombe have won their last four
matches including an impressive victory at Swansea City
in the Carling Cup. On City’s last
visit to Adams Park in October 2005, the sides fought
out an entertaining 3-3 draw while a Stewart Drummond
goal was enough to give the Blues victory over the Chairboys
in the return match last April.
Picture © Evening
Leader
6 September 2006
CHESHIRE CUP WIN
Chester are through to the second round of the Cheshire
Senior Cup after beating Altrincham on penalties tonight.
With the RobinS taking the lead midway through the first
half City looked to be heading out of the competition
until Drewe Broughton equalised in stoppage time. There
were no further goals in extra-time and City went on
to score all four of their spot-kicks to go through
4-2.
5 September 2006
WIJNHARD ON TRIAL
Former Leeds United striker Clyde Wijnhard is to train
with City. The 32-year-old Dutch striker started his
career with Ajax, before spells with Willem II, Leeds
United, Huddersfield Town, Preston North End and Darlington.
Last season he scored 12 goals in 25 appearances for
Macclesfied Town.
“Clyde has shown a lot of intelligence on the
training ground, and I have been impressed with what
he has done. There is a possibility that we could bring
Clyde in on loan, and we will make a decision by next
week.” said manager Mark Wright.
3 September 2006
WIN FOR YOUTH TEAM
Two goals in the last 15 minutes from Paul McManus and
Shamim Ali gave the youth team a 2-0 victory over a
dogged Rochdale at a wet and windy Airbus on Saturday
morning. The next match is away against the reigning
Alliance League Champions Oldham Athletic on Saturday
9 September, and we hope to give a better account of
ourselves than we did last year where the result was
7 -2 to Oldham Athletic.
1 September 2006
POOR RUN CONTINUES
Two
goals from Lee Peacock were enough to give League
Two leaders Swindon Town a comfortable 2-0 victory
on their first outing at Deva Stadium on Friday night.
The sides were level at the break but Peacock opened
the scoring soon after and dubled the Robins’
lead on 74 minutes heading home Andy Nicholas’ free-kick
not long after the visitors had been reduced to ten
men following he dismissal of Jerel Ifil. City's
best effort of the night came on the hour mark
from a curling shot by Laurence Wilson that was heading
for the top corner before it was well saved by Peter
Brezovan in the Town goal.
After the defeat Manager Mark
Wright (pictured) admitted his side had been beaten
by a
much better team. He told the League Paper: “At
half-time I said to the lads that we were in, the
game,
but that we shouldn’t concede early in the
second half, but then they got in front and you
can't get
it back against good sides like this. If Swindon
do not gain promotion this season, then I am not
a very
good judge. They are big and strong and the front
two are the best that I have seen in this league.”
“For the first time in my
managerial career I can honestly say we deserved to
get beaten. We did not get any real chances, we were
in the game up to half time but shot ourselves in
the foot by conceding just after the interval. We
huffed and puffed but we ran into a brick wall.”
“However, again defensive
mistakes let us down. They are an extremely competent
side, and if they are not one of the three automatically
promoted clubs at the end of the season, then I will
eat my hat.”
The Blues have now only picked
up one point from the last twelve available, at Torquay,
and are next in action on Saturday when they visit
fifth placed Wycombe Wanderers.
Picture © Evening
Leader
1 September 2006
CITY TACKLE LEAGUE LEADERS
League
Two early pacesetters Swindon Town make their first
visit to Deva Stadium tonight. Dennis Wise’s team
have won all five of their opening league matches this
season with home wins over Barnet, Rochdale and Stockport
while away from the County Ground they've had success
in the north east at Darlington and Hartlepool. The
unbeaten run brought the Manager of the Month award
for Wise this week.
The Robins showed their intent to
bounce straight back to League One yesterday when
they bolstered their squad by signing 38-year-old
former England international Paul Ince from Wolverhampton
Wanderers.
City will be looking to build on the point gleaned
at Torquay on Saturday thanks to a last-gasp Roberto
Martinez strike. Phil Bolland and Glenn Cronin are
still on the injury list while Ashley Westwood’s
hamstring problem may sideline him again.
Tonight’s match will kick-off
at 19:45hrs.
CONTRACTS TERMINATED
Jermaine McSporran, Freddie Potter and Adam Wade have
all had their contracts terminated to bring City below
the 60% salary cap required under Football League rules.
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