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 V
Chester City v Telford United,
Tuesday 20th February 2001
Nationwide Conference League
Chester City 1 V 0 Telford United
att:1362
Woods (7)
City win a hard fought 3 points against a
battling Telford side but not for the first time this year the referee
took centre stage at the Deva
In many respects
last night saw a similar performance by the blues to the one seen at the
Drill Field on Saturday. Chester put on an impressive performance in the
first half hour of the game but after the break shades of Saturday
returned as the blues sat back and let Telford come at them. Unlike
Saturday though City survived the second half onslaught from the inform
side and ground out 3 points which moved them up to the dizzy heights of
fifth in the Nationwide Conference.
Yet
again it was the man in black that grabbed all the headlines though as he
put on what was probably the worst refereeing display I’ve ever seen as
he gave numerous shocking decisions as well as dishing out seven bookings
in a game which didn’t even see a bad tackle. Why it can be possible
that referee’s can be selected to take charge of games involving sides
extremely close to the area where they live mystifies me and certainly the
selection of a referee from Shrewsbury, the team who we battled with for
survival in the league last year and a town which is very local to our
opponents last night Telford is baffling and this is something that really
needs looking at by the Conference board as this isn’t the first time
this has happened this year and most probably won’t be the last.
The Chester side saw one change from the team that started at the Drill
Field on Saturday as Craig Gaunt came in for the injured Carl Ruffer
whilst Telford took the surprise decision to leave top scorer and former
Wrexham player Jake Edwards on the bench with Gary Martindale and former
Tranmere player Chris Malkin being preferred to start up front.
City made the perfect start
to the game as on seven minutes stand in forward Matt Woods rose above the
Telford defence to glance in a superb Matt Doughty cross which left
Telford keeper Williams rooted to the spot on his goal line. It was a
thoroughly deserved goal by the player who had by far his best game in
that position for the blues last night.
Chester then went in search of a second goal which would have surely
killed off Telford but they couldn’t convert the amount of possession
they had into goals. Mark Beesley was guilty of being a little greedy soon
after the goal as he elected to shoot from a difficult angle when Haarhoff
and Woods where screaming for him to float the ball into them. Haarhoff
nearly grabbed his second goal for the blues moments later when he turned
Telford defender Moore in the box but his shot could only find the side
netting whilst at the other end on a rare first half Telford attack Moore
headed just wide from an inviting cross. The referee made several
controversial decisions in the half including not giving what looked like
a certain penalty when Moore again was involved this time wildly swinging
at Jimmy Haarhoff as he bared down on goal but the referee just waved play
on. The linesman on the near side was also in on the act keeping the ball
in with his trailing leg to set Telford midfielder Steve Palmer on a run
which he couldn’t convert into a chance for the Shropshire side. City
huffed and puffed but couldn’t find that elusive second goal before the
break and at half time went in 1-0 up.
Seven minutes into the second half and City should have been awarded a
second penalty when Haarhoff was again brought down in the box but the
referee controversially took the decision to book Haarhoff rather than
give the penalty. That was about it going forward from City in the second
half as they preferred to take the risky tactic of sitting back and
defending a one goal lead.
Palmer had the ball in the net for Telford on 60 minutes but it was ruled
out for an offside whilst Wayne Brown missed a bouncing ball which was
played into the box and Telford could have had a good call for a penalty
themselves as Brown seemed to take their man out rather than try to get
back to the ball.
The lively Palmer was taken off on 64 minutes whilst soon after Jimmy
Haarhoff was carried off for City after a reckless tackle from behind by
the yard dog Telford defender Moore. Haarhoff being carried off left blues
fans wondering where any forward thinking play would come from as he was
the only one that looked to have any intention of going for a second goal
in the second half and this was seen as the blues seemed to defend deeper
and deeper as the half went on.
Darren Moss came on for City to the normal stick he gets from a shrieking
woman that sits behind me every week in the East Stand and did a good job
at right midfield but Telford would feel they should have come away from
the Deva with at least a point from the game as they missed numerous clear
cut chances in the last 10 minutes whilst the referee carried on his
abysmal performance by giving various baffling free kicks.
Simon Travis blazed a cross wide of the City goal whilst pacey substitute
Edwards came on and missed a couple of chances including a shot which
curled inches wide of the Wayne Brown’s far post. Telford’s final
chance to salvage a point came deep in to injury time when Jim Bentley
couldn’t quite convert a Kevin Jobling free-kick but City hung on in to
claim three points.
Considering the injury trouble at the club which has left the squad down
to it’s bare bones Graham Barrow would probably be happy with the three
points and the performance but seeing Haarhoff being carried off is very
worrying for Saturday’s Trophy game with Blyth as City now lack a player
with the ability to unlock defences and also Graham Barrow and City fans
alike will be wondering where the goals will come from if City are to
progress into the Quarter Finals and keep the season alive.
Man Of The
Match- I though Matt Woods was outstanding in the first half but for his
performance throughout the 90 minutes I’ll give the award to Paul
Beesley who I thought had a good game at the back.
Chester-Brown,Fisher,Doughty,Lancaster,Gaunt,P.Beesley,Carden,Haarhoff,Woods,M.Beesley,Ruscoe,
Subs:Price,Berry,Woodyatt,Moss,Wright
Telford-Williams,Travis,Sandwith,Moore,Bentley,Albrighton,McGorry,Jobling,Martindale,Malkin,Palmer
Subs:Murphy,Huckerby,Bray,Edwards,Fitzpatrick
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