A heart-breaking ending, but this Chester team already secured the most vital of wins
Chester beaten 2-1 in injury time at Macclesfield in the National League North playoffs
After 99 minutes of toil at Moss Rose, the Chester squad looked back at the 1,100 strong away following.
Some sat and took a moment to reflect on what might have been, others stood motionless, while all applauded the travelling faithful, who themselves who delivered their vocal approval of a squad who had turned around sentiment in a matter of weeks.
These play-offs never seemed a realistic feat for Chester to achieve earlier in the year, even after the late 2-1 loss at home to Southport last month. But a remarkable run of form under interim boss Connell Rawlinson had propelled the Blues into seventh spot and set up Wednesday evening’s eliminator match against Macclesfield.
While Chester had the Silkmen’s number twice during the regular season with a home and away double, the last coming at Moss Rose on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, this was a game too far for the squad, something Rawlinson admitted post game.
The signs were maybe there at home to King’s Lynn Town on Saturday. Maybe, too, at Oxford City. The Blues squad had expended much energy into turning around this season, and it ended up taking its toll, with Hayden Carson sidelined for the Macclesfield clash after being on the end of heavy challenge at the weekend. Then there was Fin Shrimpton, an unexpected talisman for the latter part of this campaign who picked up a hamstring injury against Oxford, one that he hadn’t been able to fully shake.
At Moss Rose, Shrimpton was a forced substitution in the first half. In the second, another unlikely hero of this season was withdrawn early in the second period after being clattered on the halfway line by Paul Dawson. From then, it just felt like it was a case of pushing water uphill.
For Rawlinson, who does not yet know what his future holds, although his CV will have aided in no small part by what has been achieved during his short tenure, the moment of quiet reflection in front of the noise emanating from the away terrace, was a small victory of some sorts, although it wasn’t the end to the story anybody had wanted.
“I’m very proud of that,” said an understandably sombre Rawlinson on the Moss Rose pitch post match.
“I’m proud of what happened at the end there with the fans and, you know, with the players. I think you’ve got to take them little wins, you know, in losses. That at the end was a big win for us, because from where we were 11 games ago to where we are now, we’ve left the club in hopefully a better place.
“I think the fans believe that there can be success at this club moving forward. We’ve had quite a few successful seasons now. We’ve had two play-off campaigns. I’m just immensely proud to have had the opportunity to do this for the football club where I started as a player a long time ago.
“I went in there to the lads then and just spoke to them and said ‘look, you won’t get any pointing fingers from me.What you’ve done for me and for the club, I couldn’t thank you enough’.
“It’s been one hell of a ride. It wasn’t to be for us, unfortunately. I learned how to lose a long time ago. I’ve been in this game a long, long time and when it comes to playoff games, I’ve played in 11, 12 of them over the years and you win one. Do you know what I mean? It’s a lottery.
“It hurts at the minute, it does, because we all wanted to do the impossible and get promoted. But the lads can take great pride in what they’ve done there, like, real, real pride. We might not have won the playoffs, but I feel like we’ve won an elusive victory. When we took over, we didn’t think we were going to have.”
The game itself, even the most ardent of Chester fan would have been hard pushed to suggest anything other than a Macclesfield win would have reflected the balance of the game.
Connor Woods’ wonderful footwork and finish on 36 minutes, latching onto a Mottley-Henry flick on, complete with his trademark somersault, sparked euphoria and a lot of flying beer. The dream that the impossible could be achieved was well and truly on, and at half-time it felt like that.
But when the legs get heavy, and it’s worth noting Macclesfield had the luxury of wholesale changes from the team that lost 1-0 at Radcliffe at the weekend as they chose to rest players, it can be a hard game to dig in and grind out a result.
When Mottley-Henry exited proceedings it felt ominous. The 28-year-old winger-turned-striker has been a revelation in a central role for Chester this season, not least for his ability to get the team up the pitch and link the play with his aerial prowess and his physicality, not to mention his goal threat.
Macclesfield poured forward, and a change to a back four midway through the second half was an attempt to stop the Blues playing so narrow and affording the hosts too much of the ball.
But when Josh Kay levelled from a Luke Matheson cross on 66 minutes it was hard to see the Blues emerging as the victors. They expended every ounce of energy they had to repel the hosts, with Isaac Buckley-Ricketts proving particularly dangerous down a left hand side where Macc had significant joy.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson thundered a 25-yarder against the crossbar as the hosts pressed, but they would have to wait until the eight minute of eight added on to land the killer blow.
Rawlinson was right when it was about not pointing fingers. Bobby Jones has been exceptional in recent weeks in the Chester goal. Were it not for him against Oxford, that game ends 2-2, and the Blues potentially miss out on the playoffs altogether.
For 97 minutes against Macclesfield, he was excellent again. Under pressure, he handled well and made key stops at big moments, not least to deny Luke Duffy in the first half at close quarters.
But a short corner routine that was whipped in with fizz by Buckley-Ricketts to the near post at the death caught him unawares and the die was cast. The end of this particular chapter. The end of Jones’ Chester chapter? He has proven himself to be a capable number one for the next manager, if he so chooses.
There was no shame to be had here, and while there are always plenty of ‘what ifs’, this was one of those where it was a case of enjoying something that seemed highly implausible a few weeks ago.
The unity between team, club and fans was forged after appearing fractured earlier in the campaign, and for a club that needs positive sentiment to aid its growth on the pitch through season ticket sales and Boost The Budget contributions, it was a season that was always set to end on a high note, regardless of the outcome of the football.
With regards to Rawlinson, if there is the chance to keep him on in some capacity then they would like to do that. He is a popular figure and has proven himself when the chips were down. But there are other factors at play, of course.
There was little appetite from my end last night to ask Rawlinson about his future. He doesn’t know and the club doesn’t know yet. What is he supposed to say about that? What was important was that there was some reflection on the here and now and what has been, and the achievement of delivering a positive vibe for the next manager to build on.
The next man in the dugout, which likely be formally announced in the next couple of weeks, was at Moss Rose last night, and players who have turned this season around in recent weeks have been able to show the best version of themselves so that he can best judge whether they can bring that to the table in his own system next season.
As the lights dimmed around Moss Rose and the last of the supporters had filtered out and made their way into the cool, clear Cheshire night, the players emerged from the dressing room. The pops of the players post-match ‘daps’ were the only real sounds to be heard. Some will be back again in a blue and white shirt, while for others last night was the last hurrah.
For the staff and the players, whatever the direction, their ability to flip from a negative to a positive will have a lasting effect beyond their time at Chester Football Club.
To the next squad to take on the task of getting Chester out of the National League North, as season number nine beckons, they have a foundation on which to build.
The glory of winning it all will come. It just wasn’t meant to be this time around. How sweet it will be when it does arrive.