Chester City stall on road to recovery as Posh piece of class pays off

Mar 25 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

CHESTER CITY just failed to garner an unexpected point from their away trip to joint Coca-Cola League Two leaders Peterborough United, but they can take heart from another improved performance.

City preparations weren’t helped when the coach carrying the team broke down five miles from the ground, the squad continued their journey to London Road by hitching a lift on the supporters’ club coach.

And injury problems continued to hamper manager Simon Davies’s selection options, with captain Paul Butler and striker Chris Holroyd ruled out after picking up knocks.

Peterborough boast the best attacking record in League Two, but for long spells City’s defence, which included teenagers Kevin Roberts and Shaun Kelly, coped well and with players like this beginning to emerge the future looks bright for Chester, if they can just glean four extra points from their remaining six matches which should assure League safety.

City employed a 4-5-1 formation, with another teenager Glenn Rule playing in the heart of midfield alongside Mark Hughes and Tony Dinning.

Posh threatened early on, with live wire Aaron McLean causing problems.

Chester’s best chance in the first period was a rasping 20-yard drive from Mark Hughes which went over the bar.

The only goal of the game came after 70 minutes when City allowed one of the smallest men on the field to head home. A cross from the right by Chris Whelpdale wasn’t dealt with properly, which allowed diminutive Dean Keates the space to rise and loop a header from 10 yards over John Danby.

Following the goal Chester had their best chances. John Murphy shot narrowly wide, and Ritchie Partridge just failed to connect with a header from Linwood which went across the face of goal.

Two minutes from the end Dinning was sent off after harshly receiving a second yellow card, following a tackle on McLean.

PETERBOROUGH: Lewis, Morgan, Westwood, Gnakpa (correct), Day, Rendell, Keates, Whelpdale, Lee, McLean, Boyd. Subs: Low, Newton, Hyde, Williams, McKeown.

CHESTER CITY: Danby, Roberts, Kelly, Linwood, Wilson, Partridge (Mitchell 90), Dinning, Rule (Sandwith 77), Hughes, Rutherford (McManus 69), Murphy. Subs: Palethorpe, Vaughan.

REF: Mr D Whitestone (Northamptonshire)

ATT: 6,457.