For Chester fans, what Tom Davies brought to the Blues backline at the weekend was something that this season, for large parts, has been sorely missed.
The 33-year-old former Portsmouth, Coventry City and Tranmere Rovers centre back inked a loan deal from National League South side Salisbury City on Friday until the end of the season, finding himself thrust into the starting line-up for the 1-0 weekend win over 10-man Buxton at the Deva Stadium, where a late Dylan Mottley-Henry header saved the day for the hosts.
The commanding defender brought physicality and experience to a defence that has looked vulnerable for much of the campaign, providing 19-year-old loanee Phil Croker with a partner upon whom he can depend and look to for leadership.
Davies won 15 of his 16 aerial duels against Buxton, and while it can’t be ignored it was against a side that offered far less than they had planned in terms of an attacking threat after losing striker Kurt Willoughby to a straight red card inside two minutes for a kick out at Chester’s new addition, the attributes he showed made the Blues look far more solid.
