A new headache for sorry Chester following Stevenage loss

Nov 25 2009 by Neil Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

CRISIS club Chester City, who face expulsion from the Blue Square Premier League next week if they don’t satisfy outstanding football creditors, lost their fourth consecutive match when they went down 2-0 to promotion chasing Stevenage Borough last night.

Three minutes from the break the hosts took the lead. A throw from Scott Laird was flicked on by Mark Roberts to Jemi Odubade who volleyed home from 12 yards out.

Stevenage doubled their advantage after 64 minutes. Substitute Ashton’s 25-yard effort had been tipped over the bar by Danby, and from the resulting corner Roberts swept the ball home after hesitancy in the Chester defence.

Substitute Lloyd Ellams had two opportunities late on, but both of them went wide of the upright.

There was an ugly incident two minutes from time when City’s Kevin Roberts and Cole were involved in an altercation.

It appeared that the Stevenage player had lashed out at the City defender who had to leave the field with blood streaming from a head wound, which meant that Chester played out the dying embers of the game with 10 men as they had already used three substitutes.

After the game furious City manager Jim Harvey said: “Roberts has had to have five stitches in the head wound, it was a clear head butt which is just unacceptable.

“How the referee missed it I will never know.”

CHESTER: Danby, Roberts, Ryan, Kelly, Rule, Owen (Wilkinson 75), Barry, Kay, (Blundell 42), Keltie, Chadwick (Ellams 75), Beesley. Sub: Murphy.

REF: Simon Long (Suffolk).

ATT: 1,437.