V

Chester City v Hednesford Town,Tuesday 17th October,2000

Nationwide Variety Trophy Round 2

Chester City 2 v 2 Hednesford Town (aet)

Blackburn(27)M.Beesley(54)      Lake(59)Davis(77)  att:584

584 loyal suppoters turned up to see this Nationwide Variety Trophy match last night and they must have wished they hadn`t after a dismal draw

In a match when it was blowing a gale and lashing it down with rain City gave up a two nil lead to draw against Conference strugglers Hednesford in what can only be described as a mickey mouse trophy.

City scored first with a superb strike from Chris Blackburn,he hit a 20 yard pearler to put the blues one up.Just after the break Mark Beesley put the blues two up with a neat finish.What happened after that will worry Graham Barrow,the blues went to sleep and squandered the two nil lead.

Hednesford`s first came direct from a Stuart Lake free-kick he hit it and Wayne Brown somehow couldn`t get hold of it and helped it into the City net.The second was from a long ball up field which put Steve Davis through his first shot was saved by Brown but he put his follow up in to bring the sides level.Chester came to life after that and Mark Beesley should have finished it towards the end and but for a Lancaster block Hednesford player Kevin Russell could have put the game beyond the blues.Into extra-time the game went and both sides had chances,Ian Robinson blazed over the bar and Wayne Brown made a couple of good saves to deny the visitors before City were awarded a penalty in the 111th minute.Guess who stepped up to take it yes the one and only Steve Finney,could he score his first competitive match goal for the blues?Of course not was the answer as his penalty hit the post,is he ever going to score I ask!Little else happened in the rest of extra time and City now face a replay at Hednesford.Wonder if there will be a need for Police Dogs and riot vans again?in saying that though who is going to bother going to the replay in what is a pretty pathetic trophy.

Chester:Brown,Moss,Doughty,Woods,Lancaster,Ruffer,Richardson,Blackburn,M.Beesley,Finney,Ruscoe

Hednesford:Gayle,Evans,Colkin,Lake,Bradley,Pointon,Airdrie,Robinson,Davis,Owen,Russell

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