PRE SEASON REPORT | Cheadle Town 1-6 Chester
Chester picked up their first victory of pre-season in emphatic fashion this evening at Park Road Stadium.
North West Counties Division One South side Cheadle took a surprise early lead – before the Blues turned on the style – scoring twice before the half time interval and then striking four times in the second 45.
Danny Elliott was at the double, with Lloyd Marsh-Hughes also on the scoresheet for Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley’s side. Trialist C and Trialist H both bagged goals too, and a Cheadle own goal further bulked the scoreline.
After defeat at Radcliffe on Saturday in the pre-season opener, tonight the Blues were clinical and players were able to gain more minutes in their quest for fitness ahead of the new campaign.
The Stockport-based side scored the first goal of the game inside the opening 120 seconds. After Louis Gray made a strong stop initially inside the box, Patrick Davin was quickest to react to turn the rebound home.
Chester created chances in search of an equaliser – and almost scored on five minutes when Joel Taylor’s corner was headed just wide by the onrushing Kev Roberts.
Davin, who scored 30 goals last season for the home side, was then to be denied by Gray on nine minutes when the Blues stopper was alert to make an excellent reaction stop from the Cheadle frontman’s powerful, whipped free kick.
But the Chester pressure kept coming and, after Marcus Burgess denied Brad Jackson, the visitors got level on 28 minutes.
It was a goal dripping in quality – as George Glendon’s pinpoint pass over the top found a calm and collected Lloyd Marsh-Hughes, who skipped a challenge and then fired left footed into the back of the net.
Trialist C made an impact in the first half in midfield, and his goal – although deserved – had a hint of fortune about it. A defensive clearance following Glendon’s cross struck the Trialist and looped fortuitously into the corner to give the Blues a half time lead.
Ten changes were made at the break – and Chester really asserted their dominance in the second half.
The last four goals all fell in the final 20 minutes of the game, as the Blues fitness levels paid dividends in style. The third goal of the game came following a scramble with Trialist E – who had replaced Anthony Dudley minutes prior – having an effort cleared off the line before Trialist H buried the follow up.
Two goals then followed in one mad minute with a quarter of an hour remaining. First, Danny Elliott smashed home leaving Burgess with no chance at his near post after being slipped in behind the defence by Trialist.
Then, a long free kick downfield from Danny Livesey saw the backpeddling Neil Chappell loop a header over his own goalkeeper and into the goal.
After Elliott was denied by a superb reaction stop by Burgess and also a Cheadle Town defender on the line inside the last ten minutes, the forward did get his second of the night deep into stoppage time.
Danny won the penalty himself, skipping a challenge before being bundled to the ground. The frontman dusted himself down and dispatched the penalty for his third goal in two pre-season matches.
CHESTER (First Half): Gray, Trialist A, K Roberts, Trialist B, Taylor, Trialist C, Glendon, Trialist D, Jackson, Dudley, Marsh-Hughes.
CHESTER (Second Half): Worsnop, Morgan, Livesey, Grand, Trialist F, Trialist G, Trialist H, G Roberts, Johnston, Dudley (Trialist E 64), Elliott.
SCORERS: Davin 2; Marsh-Hughes 28, Trialist C 42, Trialist H 71, Elliott 75 & 90+3 (pen), Chappell (OG) 76.