Chester 1 South Shields 3: Blues undone by title hopefuls
Blues see a strong first half count for nothing as they are handed second-half lesson
Chester suffered a first defeat in eight games as they fell to a 3-1 reverse at home to title-chasing South Shields.
Second-half goals from Paul Blackett, Will Jenkins and Cedwyn Scott handed the North East side all three points after Connor Woods had put Chester in front from the spot just after the break.
It was a result that, maybe, was unfair on the Blues in terms of scoreline, with the hosts having been excellent in the opening 45 minutes and opening minutes of the second half. But a fragile confidence gave rise to spaces at the back after Blackett levelled, and from then on there was only one side who looked likely to bag the three points as Chester slip to 13th in the National League North, three points off the play-off places.
Blues boss Calum McIntyre opted to keep faith with the same starting 11 that picked up a 2-0 win at King’s Lynn Town on December 6, with the only change to the bench being Nathan Woodthorpe coming into the squad for James Jones.
It was Chester who made the early running, looking like a side with a spring in their step having had the benefit of a couple of weeks rest, while their visitors from the North East had taken in both FA Trophy and league action in the past seven days.
A Lewis Leigh free kick was hit into the wall from 20 yards after he had been bundled over in a central area, while Shields saw an effort on five minutes curled over by former Notts County man Scott after the ball had been pinched off Jack Bainbridge.
That set the tone for an excellent first 45 minutes of football, particularly from the hosts, with the desire and determination to be first to loose balls clear, and the pressure on the Shields back line every time they had to clear their lines being significant.
The tricky Pat Jones, as he has done for much of this season, was providing attacking guile, with some great build-up play ending with Watson having to show safe hands to gather a dangerous low cross.
South Shields’ Sean McGurk saw an effort from distance sent well wide on 15 minutes before Bainbridge found his route to goal blocked by a Watson save after some excellent work from Dion Kelly-Evans to work the ball into his path. From the rebound, Jones saw an effort cannon away and Dylan Mottley-Henry’s attempts to get a shot away ended up being stymied by a resolute Shields back line, marshalled expertly by the experienced Robbie Tinkler.
Chester looked hungry to make the breakthrough, and Tom Peers had a 19-yard effort parried by Watson, before a great chance for Jones arrived on 24 minutes, the former Huddersfield Town winger bursting through the two centre backs only to see the ball caught up in his feet, his eventual effort blocked and the ball scrambled clear after a melee in the visitors box.
The title-chasing away side then started to show signs of strength, with Scott dragging a shot wide and McGurk starting to cause some problems at right back for Kevin Roberts.
But it was the overworked Watson who would be called into action once again on 40 minutes, with Bainbridge wrestling possession from Cain Sykes 25 yards out, moving the ball right to Jones who set himself but saw his low effort gathered by the Shields goalkeeper.
Despite the Blues having the better of the first half, Shields gave them a heart-in-mouth moment in injury time when Blackett burst through, rounding George Murray-Jones in the Chester goal. But the former Gateshead striker nudged it too far, allowing the Blues to regroup, with Blackett’s effort blocked and after sustained pressure, a Luke Woolston 20 yarder curled well wide to ironic cheers.
HALF TIME: CHESTER 0 SOUTH SHIELDS 0
The Blues were quick out of the blocks in the second half, carrying on with the same tempo they showed in the first, and they were rewarded for their efforts on 49 minutes.
A cross from the right saw Mottley-Henry attempt to leap to meet it, but he was adjudged to have been pushed, with referee Kavan Hurn pointing to the spot with little hesitation. Up stepped Woods to fire past Watson and deliver his trademark somersault celebration in front of the jubilant Harry McNally Terrace.
Chester immediately looked keen to create some daylight, and a corner swung in to Mottley-Henry was diverted into the path of Leigh, who rocketed an effort from the edge of the area that looked destined for the net, but that was bravely blocked by a white shirt as the Deva faithful held its breath, expecting the net to ripple.
There seemed little to be overly concerned about for Chester, but on 57 minutes there was parity.
A through ball from midfield found Blackett, who played a one-two with Scott before stabbing the ball past an onrushing Murray-Jones to silence the home faithful.
Blackett nearly had turned the contest on its head four minutes later when Roberts and Jones failed to snuff out danger on the right hand side, and Blackett was played in, his angled run and shot from 12 yards blocked well by Murray-Jones. Doubt was creeping in, and Blackett then saw a 63rd minute header sent over from a deep free kick.
On 65 minutes, Chester were behind.
A McGurk cross from the left went over the head of everybody in a Chester shirt before finding the head of Jenkins, who guided his effort into the bottom corner.
The Blues had lost their rhythm. The pressing and urgency that had been on display in bucketloads in the first 45 minutes was now found wanting, and Shields were finding pockets of space, with Blackett proving particularly hard to handle for the Blues backline.
Jones, Chester’s most potent attacking weapon, did his best to try and turn the tide on 71 minutes, picking up the ball on the right wing, turning two men, before whipping a vicious effort wide from the edge of the box. But the sense of frustration was palpable.
South Shields saw a golden opportunity wasted to make it 3-1 on 77 minutes. Leigh gave the ball away sloppily inside his own half, with the excellent Blackett racing towards goal, squaring it to Todd Alcock who then looked to move it to Scott with the goal at his mercy. Dion Kelly-Evans stuck out a leg to divert it goalwards before it was hooked to safety.
But the visitors would not be denied. On 80 minutes, they had their two-goal cushion.
Chester were struggling to clear their lines, and the away side were seemingly able to move the ball around a static Blues backline at will. A clipped ball into the six-yard box found Scott, who poked home from close range to add to the Blues’ woes.
For the remainder, the Blues tried to muster something, but the rhythm had long since disappeared, and the visitors had far too much nous and far too much about them to be drawn into some grandstand finish. They seldom looked troubled.
As the final whistle rang out, the feeling was one of frustration at the inability to get something from a game where they were the better side for at least 50 minutes, but one where the differences between the very best teams in the league chasing automatic promotion, and the glut of clubs chasing the play-offs were evident.
MATCH STATS
CHESTER: Murray-Jones; Kelly-Evans, Leak, Carson, K Roberts (Woodthorpe 78); Bainbridge, Leigh, Jones, Woods (Weeks 66); Mottley-Henry, Peers (F Roberts 78). SUBS: Davies, Murray, Shrimpton, Shorrock.
GOALS: Woods 49 (pen).
SOUTH SHIELDS: Watson; Tinkler, Bainbridge, Sykes, McGurk (Gordon 72), Blackett (Wheeldon 83), Jenkins, Mann, Scott, Woolston (Alcock 53), Dodds. SUBS: Ward, Savage, Sloan.
GOALS: Blackett 57, Jenkins 65, Scott 80.
CARDS: Wheeldon (Yellow, Shields).
REFEREE: Kavan Hurn.
ATTENDANCE: 2,324 (97 away fans).