Chester too strong for Town

A GULF of three leagues in the football pyramid proved too much for Warrington Town as they bowed out of the Cheshire Senior Cup with a 4-0 defeat at Chester.

The National League side, who played their first game as a reformed club against Town back in August 2010, booked a semi-final date against Tranmere with a routine victory.

On loan striker Nyal Bell, making his first Chester appearance since his arrival from Football League outfit Rochdale, scored one in each half to send Warrington to their first defeat since the Doodson Sport Cup reverse at Ramsbottom on December 1.

Chester played with a mix of first team regulars and reserves and playmaker John Rooney ran the show for much of the match.

They dominated territory in the early exchanges, and it was Rooney’s ball over the top that set up Kane Richards for the first chance, the winger beating the offside trap only to be smothered by Town ‘keeper Karl Wills as he shot.

Warrington were struggling to keep hold of the ball in the attacking half of the pitch, though they did have the best chance of the opening quarter. Gerard Kinsella, making his second appearance on his return to the club, managed to find space in the box and forced a save from the goalkeeper at the near post.

From the resulting corner, the ball bounced around the goalmouth and Danny Ventre’s poke goalwards was cleared off the line.

As Warrington grew in confidence, Bell and Richards were finding more space on the break and it was from a counter attack that Chester opened the scoring.

Captain Craig Robinson went for a clearance on halfway and after appearing to be nudged, the ball flew off him and gave the long-striding Bell a run at McCarten. He turned him one way and then the other before finishing clinically low to Wills right in the far corner.

Chester held a 1-0 lead at half time, which saw the introduction of strikers Ben Deegan and Steven Gillespie, making a welcome return from a shoulder injury that has seen him sidelined since the win over Farsley in October.

The home side retained their control of the match and came within a lick of paint of doubling their lead when Ryan Astles headed a free kick against the post.

The second goal did come shortly after the hour mark and from the penalty spot. Bell was proving quite a handful and he drew in a rash challenge from Robinson in the box and earned a penalty, which was duly despatched by Matty Waters.

That left Town with it all to do, and it was Gillespie who looked most likely to get them back in the game. He curled a shot just over the bar after a good run by Joe Holt, before charging down the goalkeeper’s clearance following a weak back pass only for the loose ball to fall safe.

At the other end, Johnny Hunt went close twice and on 80 minutes, Chester made it 3-0 when Wills misjudged a ball in by substitute Jordan Chapell and it found its way in off the woodwork.

Warrington then went as close as they could to getting on the scoresheet when Gillespie created an opportunity on the right and found Scott Metcalfe via Warren Beattie, and the left winger hit the far post with a left foot shot.

There was still time for Chester to add a fourth, which was perhaps harsh on the visitors, the impressive Bell winning a loose ball midway through the Town half and then finishing well past Wills.

Warrington are next in action in the league this Saturday when Kendal visit Cantilever Park (3pm kick-off).

Chester: Thompson, Higgins, Waters, Sharps, Astles, Rooney, Hughes, Richards, Hunt, Bell, Hobson (Chapell). Unused subs: Worsnop, Hannah, Alabi, Lloyd.

Warrington Town: Wills, Turner, Lea, Ventre (Beattie), McCarten, Robinson, Gahgan (Gillespie), Kinsella, Metcalfe, Holt, Dean (Deegan). Unused subs: O’Donnell, Rudge.