MATCH REPORT | Chester 4-0 Kettering Town
A fantastic showing, orchestrated by Declan Weeks, saw the Blues pick up three points at home to Kettering Town.
After dominating the end of the first half, the Blues came out firing for the second as Weeks’ corner found Anthony Dudley for the opening goal, three minutes into the half.
The pair combined again ten minutes later as Dudley beat Foulkes for a second time before Weeks completed a hat-trick of assists by picking out Matty Williams from another corner.
There was still time for one more though as Iwan Murray was brought down inside the penalty area, up stepped Kurt Willoughby to bag his tenth goal of the season, completing a fantastic bounceback from a heartbreaking result midweek for the club.
Blues boss Calum McIntyre made one change from the side that forced National League side Oldham Athletic to penalties in the week as an injury to Harrison Burke forced him out and Liam Edwards came into the starting line-up.
It meant that Kevin Roberts made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Chester FC, with Williams playing his 50th game for the club.
Kettering made a positive start winning the ball high up the field and Ben Sault found some space on the edge of the penalty area before dragging his shot just wide of the goal.
Chester should have taken the lead with their first chance of the game, Lewis Coulton with a fantastic run down the left side before putting in a superb cross for Kole Hall, but he got too much on it from close range and fired it over the crossbar.
Kettering were looking to get in on the counter attack, forcing Chester to look for a way to break them down and after half an hour they came close again to doing so first Lynch saw his effort from close range blocked before Willoughby’s curling effort was pushed away by Foulkes.
Five minutes later and Willoughby was on hand to cause problems from the opposite side, again with a curling effort, this time just over the crossbar. Another chance came a few moments later as the ball broke to Kieran Coates on the volley, but he couldn’t keep his effort down.
In first half stoppage time the Blues went even closer as Weeks played in Dudley, who saw his shot blocked by the onrushing Foulkes resulting in a Chester corner that they couldn’t take advantage of, meaning the score was goalless at the break.
The breakthrough wasn’t far away though and came three minutes into the second half as Weeks’ corner was headed back to him and at the second attempt he picked out Dudley, who guided a header into the corner and the Blues into the lead.
Ten minutes later and it was the same pairing combining again, Weeks’ through ball found Dudley, who finished with aplomb, beyond the outstretched arm of Foulkes.
The pair almost combined for a hat-trick of goals and assists as Weeks burst into the penalty area, pulling it back for Dudley to have two cracks at, the first was denied by Weeks’ heel before a Kettering defender threw themselves in the way to deny him again.
Weeks was really pulling the strings in the second half, first with a deep cross for Dudley, which was well stopped by Foulkes before the resulting corner, again taken by Weeks, picked out Williams, but he couldn’t direct his header goalwards.
Chester were really getting at Kettering as Hall and Dudley exchanged passes, with the former unleashing an outrageous volley that was inches away from finding the top corner after Dudley’s delightful pass over the top.
The third did come, with Weeks completing the hat-trick of assists, another corner that Williams ran onto and finished beautifully on the volley, into the far corner.
Chester almost added a fourth, again from a corner, as Williams had two chances to double his tally. Murray’s ball in saw Williams head the first one down and it bounced up and was turned away by Foulkes, Williams met the following corner but couldn’t get his attempt on target.
In stoppage time Coates’ through ball found Murray, he cut back and was brought down by Ethan Hill and the referee pointed to the spot.
Kurt Willoughby stepped up and found the bottom corner, putting the icing on a fantastic afternoon for the Blues.
CHESTER: Tyrer, Coates, Williams, Edwards, Coulton, Roberts (Devine 80), Weeks (c) (Murray 80), Lynch, Dudley, Hall (Stephenson 72), Willoughby.
SUBS NOT USED: Morgan, Kenyon.
SCORERS: Chester: Dudley 48 & 58, Williams 74, Willoughby (pen) 90+3.
ATTENDANCE: 1,834.