Goals from Ma’kel Campbell and Billy Waters secured a first win in charge for Chester boss Phil Parkinson on the opening day of the National League North season at Chorley.
Campbell’s 26th minute strike and Waters’ bundled effort three minutes from time cancelled out Elliott Taylor’s leveller on the hour mark as Parkinson’s Blues side controlled the game for the most part at Victory Park in front of some 800 travelling fans, and while there was plenty to ponder for the Blues boss in terms of how he wants his side to look, this was matchday one of 46 and there were plenty of positive signs. The ability to pull a result out of the bag when needed chief among them.
While the pre-season friendlies had seen Chester grown in stature and confidence, when it came to the opening day it was always going to be something of an unknown just how the Blues would actual apply themselves in the Lancashire sunshine.
The sun was out, as were the boys in blue, and the you could feel the buzz of excitement and anticipation. A big Blues following roared Phil Parkinson’s charges in from their final warm-up and gave them an even heartier welcome when they emerged ready for action.
Chorley were big and physical. That was very much to be expected. Given Chester’s likely preference for ball dominance, Chorley were always going to be direct and aiming to stifle the Blues in possession as high as they could, and so that proved to be the case, with the full back outlets of Nathan Woodthorpe and Sam Reed closed down quickly to deny an outlet.
It was a nervy opening, where few Blues players looked comfortable receiving the ball.
On four minutes it could have been the worst possible start. Declan Weeks got himself in all kinds of trouble in the box before Mike Calveley got in front of him, with Weeks rather clumsily felling the Chorley man, and referee Jonathan Maskrey wasting little time in pointing to the spot.
In front of a packed away end, Magpies striker Anj Popoola strode forward, stuttered his run up and proceeded to fire well wide of Luke Hewitson’s left-hand post. It was celebrated like a Blues goal.
Immediately after, Hewitson was caught out by the newly introduced rule where the goalkeeper has to release the ball from a goal kick within eight seconds. Chorley were awarded a corner for Hewitson’s breach, which they dealt with, but it did little to settle the visiting nerves.
The next 15 minutes continued in a similar vein. Chester dominated the ball and, as expected, the central defenders and Hewitson saw a lot of it at their feet, as did Weeks who dropped deep to pick up possession at every available opportunity. But Chorley weren’t for being pulled out of shape, and there was little in the way of meaningful attacking action at either end. The first touches continued to be on the heavy side for the most part.
But on 26 minutes the Blues found a way through when some sustained pressure ended with 19-year-old Ma’kel Campbell found a yard of space on the edge of the box before sending a raspingf effort high into the centre of Li-Bau Stowell’s goal. The Chorley stopper should have done better, but Campbell’s willingness to get an effort away was rewarded with a debut goal.
Chester started to relax the shoulders and move the ball around with a little more freedom, with Jake Griffin and George Burroughs particularly impressive and forging an encouraging early partnership at the heart of the Blues defence.
Some good work from Reed down the right saw him cut inside and fire over, but Chester wasted a glorious opportunity to double their advantage on 41 minutes when a rare break from midfield created a three on two for the Blues, with Campbell feeding Billy Waters who then squared to Tom Peers, but with only Stowell to beat, Peers couldn’t compose himself and fired over from close range. The net should have been bulging.
Chorley pressed in the final five minutes, with Popoola heading wide from six yards when well placed at the back post, but the Blues managed to see out the half to head in a goal to the good.
SECOND HALF
The opening minutes of the second half saw Chester looked a little disjointed, but they soon managed to regain their composure and the first meaningful chance of the second 45 would land at the feet of Dan Ward who snatched at his shot from a Reed pull back from 12 yards out after initially getting the ball caught under his feet.
Much like they had been for much of the first half, Chester were on top, albeit they weren’t translating their possession into making inroads in the final third often enough.
But on the hour mark they found themselves pegged back.
A long ball forward had Chester turned around and Taylor gave chase, tussling with Reed before the Chorley number 22 managed to watch the bounce of the ball in the box, chesting it down before unleashing an unstoppled angled half volley beyond Hewitson into the far right-hand corner. Against the run of play, yes, but Chester just hadn’t been able to make their dominance on the ball count.
Chorley had their tails up for the first time in the game, and the space that hadn’t been afforded to them for much of the game now started to open up and their own play became more expansive as a result, with the Blues backline having to repel a more purposeful Magpies attack.
Jacob Hazel was thrown into the action on 68 minutes and soon after could have found himself on the scoresheet, coming deep to collect a pass from Woods 30 yards out before advancing between the Chorlet centre backs in the area only to see his effort from 10 yards blocked by Max Hunt.
Chester looked on the hunt for a winner, and on 87 minutes it arrived. A wonderful forward ball from the excellent Griffin was brought down well by Ward, who managed to poke it across goal where Waters was lurking to bundle home to cue pandemonium in the away end.
Further opportunities would arrive before the game was out, with Waters nodding wide from a wonderful position from a Ward assist across the box, while Kofi Moore almost found the next from the right hand side after he sprung the offside trap but he could only see his 10 yard effort cannon off the post and cleared to safety.
Ben Lomax came on for the final four minutes of added time as Parkinson looked to ensure a maiden three points for his reign, and while Sam Fielding’s header forced Hewitson into a good stop, the Blues were well worth the three points, but will be frustrated they didn’t create clearer daylight long before Waters’ winner.
A win on the opening day away from home, however, is nothing to be sniffed at.
STATS
CHESTER: Hewitson; Burroughs, Griffin, Reed, Woodthorpe; Weeks, Ward, Woods (Moore 78), Campbell (Murphy 88); Peers (Hazel 68), Waters (Lomax 90). SUBS: Davies, Kenny, Rosenblatt.
Goals: Campbell 26, Waters 87.
Yellow cards: Woods, Weeks, Woodthorpe.
Attendance: 1,996 (800 from Chester).
Didn’t know about the 8 second rule and don’t have a problem with it - but not a chance he was applying it consistently. Shoe lace issues the immediate counter tactic 🫤
Would have felt really frustrated by a draw. Flipping delighted by a win. Off and running and it was a cracking afternoon overall.