YOUTH REPORT | Morpeth Town 1-0 Chester

A late goal in the North East saw the young Blues exit the FA Youth Cup at the First Round stage on a cold night at Craik Park.

Corey McKeown headed home from a corner on 75 minutes – the only goal of a scrappy encounter at Morpeth Town.

Chester did have the bulk of the chances in this tie. Morpeth goalkeeper James Anderson made a fantastic low stop to deny Tom Ruffer inside the first five minutes – before moments later Jake Hampson caught Will Goodwin’s cross on the volley, but the ball flew inches wide of the post.

As the second half progressed, Calum McIntyre side got closer. Goodwin was denied at the near post by Anderson – before Rubin twice turned wide from close range in a matter of minutes from crosses from the right by Owen Kucharski and Goodwin respectively.

But then, the home side started to gain a bit of momentum in the tie and, just after Josh Schofield had made a great save to deny Jackson Ward, a corner from Ben Ramsey into the area was headed in by McKeown.

Chester perhaps felt aggrieved at not being awarded a penalty moments after the restart, when a Morpeth defender appealed to handle the ball inside the box – but it was waved away by the Referee Craig Dean.

The Blues continued to pile on the pressure late on, but the hosts held firm to knock Chester FC out of the FA Youth Cup.

CHESTER FC: Schofield, Kucharski, Burke, Hall (Goodwin 90+1), Young, Edwards (Harrison 40), Ruffer, Hughes, Hampson, Goodwin, Rubin (Gibson 81).

SUBS NOT USED: Buckley, Turner, Lowe, Sutton.