REPORT | Farsley Celtic 2-2 Chester

Chester picked up a point in their opening game of the National League North season following an excellent fightback at The Citadel.

George Waring’s headed brace meant that Bern and Jonno remain unbeaten in opening day fixtures as the Blues bosses.

Farsley Celtic were playing their second match of the league campaign after an impressive 1-0 win at Hereford seven days ago, and their sharpness showed as they got off to a flying start.

The opener came after just five minutes. Ben McKenna’s sliding pass was well dummied and enabled Tyler Walton to fire across Louis Gray and into the back of the net.

Chester nearly found a quick response inside the opening quarter of an hour as George Glendon slipped through John Johnston, but the winger lost his footing as his shot was tipped behind by Tom Donaghy.

Following this, the lead was doubled on 27 minutes. A corner was recycled back into the box by Adam Barton and the home side’s skipper Adam Clayton headed into the corner.

The Blues struggled to have a spell of pressure in the opening 45, but got a crucial goal moments before the break which set the platform for an impressive fightback.

A short corner was well worked on the left, James Hardy found the overlap of Glendon who assisted with a fantastic outside of the foot cross for Waring to score.

Farsley kept pushing an could have restored their two-goal cushion prior to the interval. The ever-threatening Jimmy Spencer got beyond Simon Grand on the right byline, but was denied by Gray, before his glancing header from a corner was well cleared off the line.

The second half was a slow start in terms of chances, but the Blues did dominate the ball and were pressing on for a leveller. Darren Stephenson drilled over from Declan Weeks’ pass on 56 minutes.

Moments before the equaliser, Chester had Gray to thank for a stunning one-handed save to deny Will Hayhurst. A matter of moments later, Dan Cowan swung a cross in for Waring to powerfully beat his man to the ball and nod into the goal.

Substitute Lloyd Marsh-Hughes came on and caused problems for the defence. He had a big opportunity on 76 minutes when the forward latched on to a short backpass, but poked the effort wide. In the ten minutes of stoppage time, which came following a nasty clash of heads between Clayton and Sam Walker, Marsh-Hughes was again close as his near post effort was stopped by Donaghy.

There was still time for Jude Oyibo and Weeks both to have half-chances, but each of them saw their efforts fly just the wrong side of the post.

A point at the end of an entertaining game of football.

CHESTER: Gray, Morgan, Livesey, Cowan, Grand, Johnston (Oyibo 63), Weeks, Glendon, Hardy (Marsh-Hughes 73), Stephenson (Askew 90+5), Waring.

SUBS NOT USED: Clark, Williams.

SCORERS: Walton 5, Clayton 27; Waring 42 & 68.