DATE

REPORT

28 February

Mens 4th vs Rhyl and District 2nds – Won 4 - 2

In a tough fixture against Rhyl, Chester were determined to get a result. Fortunately, Chester’s goal scoring eye was in and goals came from Evans, North and 2 from Warburton.

14 February

Mens 4th vs Bebington 3rds – Draw 1 - 1

An evenly matched game with end to end play. Daniel Hyden was the goal scorer.

31 January

Mens 4th vs Sale 2 – Won 3 - 2

A bottom of the table six point saw Chester start the stronger against Sale. Chester scored two early short corners from Andy Carbery and David Bond. Sale where pinned back in their own half for much of the game but did threaten to spoil the party on more than one occasion.  Shortly before the break, Chester scored a third short corner.  David Bond literally stealing in at the back post to deflect in his second from a Richard Evans shot.  In the second half Sale rearranged their formation and began pressing Chester back.  Midway through the second half their centre half was allowed to run from halfway unchallenged and pushed the ball past the oncoming keeper. With 10 minutes to go, Sale scored a second from a very tight angle.  The final 10 minutes were very edgy.   Sale could have and perhaps should have drawn level with two minutes to go when the right winger crept unnoticed to the back post.  However he went for the an ambitious reverse stick sweep at the cross and missed it letting Chester off the hook to claim an invaluable three points.

29 November

Mens 4th vs –  Llandudno 1st – Won 6 - 2

Chester's 4th XI continued their winning streak with a convincing win over Llandudno.  In their meeting away in Bethesda Chester were disappointed not to take the points and wanted to exact their revenge.  They started very strongly and took the lead through Paul North after 5 minutes.  Chester should have had a second 3 minutes later when Mark Taylor tapped in from close range.  However the umpire decided not to give it for reasons unknown Llandudno then immediately went up the other end and drew level. Chester responded positively and went on to score 4 further goals in the first half. Alan Watt, David Bond (two) and Mark Taylor's pick of the bunch all pressing Chester's advantage home. In the second half Llandudno came out fighting.  Chester tried to be too clever in their play and couldn't make the same impression as in the first half.  Paul North finally scored a sixth for Chester late on with Llandudno getting a well taken late consolation.  Final Score 6-2 to Chester.

22 November

Mens 4th vs Crewe Vagrants 2 – Won 2 - 1

Chester 4^th’s game against Crewe had a draw written all over it. Both sides knew each other well from last season and were effectively cancelling each other out. Chester did win a string of penalty corners but couldn’t convert them into goals. Five minutes before the break Crewe finally broke free and scored a well struck goal. The second half was a repeat of the first will both sides equal. However ten minutes before full time Chester were awarded a penalty stroke that was converted by Jurgen Fenney. Chester would have settled for a draw but in a manic last five minutes Chester’s Geoff Hall finally scored a rebound from a penalty corner to give them a hard fought 2-1.

15 November

Mens 4th vs –  Rhyl and District 2 – Won 3 - 0

An administrative error meant that Chester's 4th team had to play their game with ten men against a Rhyl side 4th in the league.  The game plan was to limit the damage as much as possible.  This compounded further when a clumsy tackle from Ian Hughes resulted in a twisted ankle for the young forward reducing Chester to nine men.  Rhyl pressed and pushed but found no way through a strong and very organised defence.  Ian Hughes returned to the fray as a goal hanger to at least give the Chester defence a out let. Rhyl had several short corners in first half but could not convert them. Then five minutes before half time Chester were awarded their first corner. Richard Evans slipped the ball left for Paul North to pass the ball into the far corner; 1-0.  The second half was a repeat of the first.  It was all hands to the pumps as Bills, North and Knight all helped to pack the Chester defence from Midfield.  Halfway through the second half, Chester were awarded  a dubious free hit in their own half. Rhyl hesitated giving Chester a chance to break.  Knight to Bills - Bills to North - North to Watt, Watt to the Crippled Hughes who wrong footed the keeper and passed to North to score in an open net. Rhyl then lost their discipline and started committing needless offences.  Their bench received a yellow card reducing them to 10 men for the last 2 minutes. Eventually a reckless challenge in their own D cost them a  Penalty Stroke which was converted by Jurgen Fenney.  The game finished 3-0 to Chester's nine and a half men.  A very unlikely but deserved result.

8 November

Mens 4th vs – South Cheshire 3 – Lost 0 - 1

Once again Chester were made to pay for their inability to finish.  Chester dominated the game from start to finish a whole host of players having a shot on goal.  However at the end of the first half South Cheshire managed to build an attack and with their first well taken strike on goal took the lead.  Early in the second half Chester were awarded a penalty corner. Richard Evans shot was stopped by a foot on the line.  However the resulting penalty stroke was not converted.  Chester continued to press and should have won comfortably.  However it was South Cheshire's day.

1 November

Mens 4th vs Chester 3rds – Lost 2 - 5

Both sides started in determined fashion with tackles crunching in left right and centre.  The thirds had most of the early pressure.  After 15 minutes they had the breakthrough when they were awarded a very controversial goal after a raised cross had struck a defender in the chest. The thirds went two up through Andy Paterson with a third coming soon after. The Fourths began to exact their own pressure before half time. Ian Hughes rounded the keeper and squared the ball to John Knight only to have the ball cleared off the line.  Five minutes later Ian Hughes rounded the keeper a second time and again John Knight tried to finish.  The ball struck a foot on the line and Ian Hughes duly converted the resulting penalty stroke.

The second half was very even with the Fourth's pushing forward in numbers. Halfway through the half the Fourths pulled back to 3-2 and the game was on. With tempers getting frayed in the Thirds it looked like a draw was on the cards Especially with two more Forth team efforts leared off the line. However hopes were dashed with the Thirds forth Goal and with the very touch, Richard Nicholas added insult to injury for the final goal of the game to make the final score: Chester 3rds 5 - Chester 4th's 2.

25 October

Mens 4ths vs Llandudno 1 – Lost 2 - 3

Chester began very strongly. Within 5 minutes of the start a Julian Bills short corner shot was collected off the keeper by Steve Brocklebank who lifted it into the roof of the net 1-0. For most of the first half all 20 outfield players were camped in the Llandudno half but Chester were unable to convert the pressure. Chester were made to pay for this when Llandudno got a breakaway. To make it 1-1 and just before half time Llandudno doubled there tally with a similar break. The second half was much more even with both sides having half chances. It was Llandudno who broke the deadlock to go 3-1 up. Chester began to play their passing game again and with added effort from the defence Kev Robinson broke through from right back to drive home Chester’s Second goal. The last 10 minutes was all Chester but once again this pressure could not be converted to goals. Final Score 3-2 to Llandudno.

18 October

Mens 4ths vs Oxton 4 – Draw 4 - 4

Oxton began very strongly and pegged Chester behind their own 25 yard line for the early period of the first half.  Chester did well to hold off the pressure which draw most of the Oxton side forward.  After 15 minutes a quick break gave Ian Hughes the chance to run at the Oxton defence and score past the oncoming keeper.  10 minutes later a similar break  and a lot of luck gave Alan Watt his first goal of the season after a defender deflected the ball into his own net. Oxton's pressure finally came good in the last 10 minutes of the first half pulling back to 2-2 at half time. The second half was a much more even affair with both sides having their chances Chester edged ahead again when Andy Ible drilled home a short corner strike only for Oxton to come back to 3-3 with an effective overlap of the Chester defence. John knight appeared to have stolen it for Chester with an excellent half volley following a rebound off the keeper's pads to give Chester a 4-3 lead. But Oxton refused to concede and in the last 5 minutes scored from free hit on the edge of the area. Final score a frustrating  4-4 draw.

4 October

Mens 4th  vs Deeside 4th  Lost 1 - 2

At the start of the game it was apparent that the game depended on the midfield battle.  However Both side seamed on par and the game was nicely balanced.  However, After 10 minutes Deeside were awarded a Penalty stroke which was duly converted giving Deeside the lead.  Chester then went on the attack and began to dominate the game forcing  Deeside to resort to the counter attack.   5 minutes before the break a defensive error gifted Deeside a one on one on the Chester keeper and that then put Chester 2 down.

The second half was totally dominated by Chester.  Deeside were restricted to two strikes on goal.  The pressure finally paid dividend with 10 minutes to go when an Andy Ible penalty corner strike was saved by the Deeside keeper only for Ian Hughes to clean up for his first league goal of the season.  Chester continued to pile on the pressure but could not draw level.  The match ended 1-2 to Deeside.  A result more to do with Chester’s mistakes than Deeside’s supperiority.