A WOEFUL display of finishing in front of goal dragged Chester City well and truly back into the Coca- Cola League Two relegation dog fight and if they don’t become more incisive non-league football will become an unwelcome reality again.
City had enough chances to win four matches let alone one, but a wayward and short-sighted approach which would have embarrassed Mr Magoo, meant that goal-scoring opportunity after goal-scoring opportunity were spurned. The disappointing aspect of the defeat was that Lincoln, who had already secured Football League safety, were a very ordinary side and were forced to play the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Danny N’Guessan had been dismissed after receiving a second yellow.
Chester should have taken the lead in the fifth minute when they were awarded a penalty following a clumsy challenge by visiting keeper Alan Marriott on John Murphy.
Kevin Ellison stepped up to take the spot-kick but his woefully under-hit effort was easily saved by Marriott.
Ellison could have made amends four minutes later, but a 15 yards shot was closer to the corner flag. than its intended target!!
Mark Hughes got into the act after 14 minutes, but his scuffed shot from the edge of the visitors’ area appeared to bounce at least three times before it meekly nestled in the arms of Marriott.
Lincoln were forced to make a change after 16 minutes when Marriott, who had been injured during the earlier penalty incident, was substituted by rookie keeper Ayden Duffy.
Chester took the lead after 20 minutes when Paul McManus fired home from 10 yards, following a low cross from Paul Rutherford.
The lead only lasted for a minute as Lincoln came back strongly and registered two goals in as many minutes, with City’s defensive unit at fault for both goals.
Jamie Forrester grabbed them both, the first a close range effort after Kelly and Linwood had failed to deal properly with a ball into the area. The second came when the unmarked veteran striker reacted to a knock-on from Ben Wright.
Chester piled forward in the second half looking for a priceless equaliser, but Ellison, Wilson and Hughes were guilty of a succession of misses and Roberts hit the underside of the visitors’ bar with a close range effort.
City have now worryingly lost seven of their last nine matches and manager Simon Davies was an angry man following the game. He said: “We will probably not create as many chances as that in a game for a long time.
“If you are going to create around 15 or 20 chances you have got to expect more than one goal. We missed a penalty, hit the bar and missed open goals.”
Davies added: “It went to plan but people need to take their time and use the qualities they have got to put the ball in the back of the net. That just didn’t happen.”
CHESTER:@ Danby, Roberts, Kelly (Vaughan 46), Linwood, Wilson, Rutherford (Rule 70), Hughes, Sandwith, Ellison, Murphy, McManus. Subs: Palethorpe, Mitchell, Dinning.
LINCOLN: @Marriott (Duffy 16), Croft, Moses, Beevers, Ridley, Dodds, Frecklington, Pembleton (Hone 75), N,Guessan, Forrester (King 84), Wright. Subs: Brown, Stallard.
REFEREE: @Paul Melin
