Southport 0-2 Chester

Chester made it a fantastic five wins on the bounce with a win at Southport in a game they dominated from first minute to last.

George Glendon gave the Blues a half time advantage that was only one despite a plethora of chances – before Elliott Whitehouse shook off his penalty miss to seal the win in the second 45.

There was one change to the starting XI and squad from Saturday’s victory at home to Scunthorpe United.

Tom Peers made his first start following his return to the club, with Charlie Caton missing out due to injury. Ollie Heywood was named amongst the substitutes.

Chester came flying out of the traps, as Peers dragged a shot wide within a matter of seconds, before then working hard to get a ball across goal moments later which saw Adam Thomas’ looping header come back out off the crossbar.

The Blues then got the opener their start deserved on eight minutes.

Glendon started the move, winning it back high up the pitch, before Peers held it enough long enough for the skipper to regain the ball, drive into the box and slide it home.

It was quickly almost two as Declan Weeks released Peers this time, and his cutback was fired over from a good position by the unmarked Whitehouse.

The big chances kept on coming. Peers was involved again as he picked up a Joel Taylor pass and his curler was only parried out by Chris Renshaw – but Thomas turned the rebound wide.

Then Chester got a penalty as Thomas was felled just inside the box by Flowers. Whitehouse stepped up but saw his penalty saved by Renshaw on 18 minutes.

19 minutes in produced yet another chance as Taylor volleyed Weeks’ cross just the wrong side of the post – before Peers tried to catch out Renshaw with a lob after he slipped when kicking – but the ball landed over the crossbar.

A dominant opening 45 ended with just the one goal, confirmed just before the break as Southport Captain David Morgan cleared off the line from Thomas’ shot following a well-worked Weeks corner.

Southport came out for the second half looking to find a way back into the game and almost equalised on 50 minutes when a Josh Hmami clipped cross found its way to Luke Burgess who headed against the post from close range.

And Chester punished that missed with their second on 56 minutes and Whitehouse made no mistake this time.

The midfielder turned home his fifth of the campaign from Tom Sparrow’s cross after a neatly cushioned Glendon header.

Peers continued to prove a handful and tested Renshaw with a poked shot, before then spinning and volleying over from a Weeks cross.

In the end the game cooled down from there as the Blues saw out a third successive clean sheet and a fifth win on the spin.

————————————————————————————————————————————

Chester: Stanway, Sparrow, Edwards, Williams, Taylor, Roberts, Glendon, Weeks, Whitehouse, Peers, Thomas (Murray 78).

Subs Not Used: Burke, Evans, Heywood, Maguire.

Scorers: Glendon 8, Whitehouse 56

Attendance: 1,835 (684 Chester).