retired_milla0225

Cheers HD, nice of you.

I go off on one against SI coder's in The January update, not that I don't do it in the February update, coming next, either. The whole game just get's a little unbeleiveable at times, doesn't it. The main culprits here, the goalie taking the kickoff, have I mentioned that one yet ? You haven't even seen the Grimsby manager, of the second division, winning the Conference manager of the month award, yet, but believe me, it does happen.
Just wait a couple of monthly updates,........ here comes the next one, February.

retired_milla0225

February

The first news of the month was the FA trophy 5th round draw. Chester got an away trip to Accrington, not quite the draw I would have hoped for.

Chester 0-0 Forest Green
Conference 7th February 2004
A goalless first half, with many of Chester's old failings returning to the fore. Of nine attempts in the half only three were on target and Giangelo in the Forest Green goal wasn't really tested with any of the ones that were on target. The only notable incident of the first half was an injury to Ben Davies with the by now rested Twiss coming on to replace him. At halftime I replaced Clare with Brodie but put Brodie in 'the hole' and pushed Twiss alongside Stamp see of that improves shooting accuracy in the second half..
The half opened on a bizarre note when Chester goalkeeper Wayne Brown took the kick off ! But it proved to be no better in the second half with Forest Green setting their stall out for a draw, and defending well enough to get it. Giangelo only had one 'real' save to make when Brodie shot from the edge of the box. Other than that it was a routine day at the office for the Forest Green netminder. Jamie Heard was injured in the second half. I was disappointed to note that the referee didn't stop the game in either case in this match when a Chester player was forced to leave the field due to injury. Craig Rooney in the Forest Green defence picked up the man-of-the-match award for a sterling display. Chester stay second but fall a little further behind Aldershot.

And the news from the physio's room wasn't good. Ben Davies only picked up a slight knock but Jamie Heard broke his leg and will be out until the start of next season at the earliest. A crushing blow to our defence where he was one of the brightest performers this term.

Gary Bowman also picked up his fifth yellow of the season and will have to sit out the next game.

On the Wedensday loan signing Ryan Hutchinson completed his loan period and returned to Stoke. He'd not really set the world alight in his three months at Chester only racking up one start and six substitute appearances, with an average rating of 6.57 over these games. He'd been a useful addition for these months, but not someone I'll be looking to sign come the suummer.

Dag & Red 2-1 Chester
Conference Saturday 14th February 2004
A trip to Dagenham, third in the table, should be a tester, I thought on the coach down, and indeed, was I right ? The Daggers came out at us, all guns blazing, and played some of the best football anyone's played against us all season. We hardly got a kick. That said, for all their domination they only got two goals. What goals they were, however. On 29 minutes Tony Scully picked up the ball in his own half, ran half the length of the pitch and into the Chester area where he calmly slotted it past Wayne Brown. The second was, if anything, more spectacular. It came on 42 when Marc Anthony interecpted a loose ball form Baltacha and hit it first time, from 30 yards into the top left corner. A great goal. The only question at half time was, who to take off ? Harris had had a poor first half and I replaced him with Ruffer and I replaced Clare with Stamp, given the amount of forward play we had, this might be considered a little harsh, but I felt we had to try and kickstart the game for Chester somehow. It looked for a moment to have worked as Chester pulled one back at the start of the second half when, on 51 minutes, substitute Darryn Stamp burst past one challenge on the edge of the box and the fired an unstopable shot from a narrow angle into the roof of the net. That was, unfortunately, as good as it got for City. If anyone was going to score again it was Dagenham & Redbridge, but another goal didn't come and there was some hope for Chester right to the end, though nothing came of it. A disapointing performance from my boys, but hats off to The Daggers, who were worthy winners. Tony Scully was man of the match, Chester swap places with Dag & Red and drop to third.

I recieved a £35,000 bid from Brentford for Michael Twiss. Insulting.

Chester 2-1 Shrewsbury
Conference Tuesday 17th February 2004
Rapley was suspended for this one, having reached five yellows. Bowman just back off a similar suspension takes his place. In addition I gave Twiss a rest, at Joe Hinnigan's suggestion. An evenly balanced game of football ensued, where Chester scored first, after only six minutes. Danny Collins retrieved an overhit Ban Stevens corner and crossed it back into the middle where Sergei Baltacha rose highest to head home. It was end to end from here on in, and it was Shrewsbury who grabbed an equaliser on 37.Martin O'Connor heading home Sam Aiston's corner for his first goal for The Shrews. The game seemed to be heading towrds half time at 1-1 when a terrible error by former Chester favourite Darren Moss gifted Chester a goal. His wayward backpass was intercepted by Darryl Clare 10 yards out, in the clear, and he doesn't miss from there. 2-1 at half time to Chester City then, but it was a very even game. The second half was a keenly contested as the first but with Shrewsbury beginning to gain the upper hand in terms of chances made. But the equalising goal would not come and 2-1 it stayed. There were a few scares for Chester right at the very end but they held on. Darryl Clare was named man of the match and the win takes Chester back above Dag & Red and into second in the Conference.

Danny Collins picked up a shoulder injury in the game and will be out for two weeks.

Accrington 0-1 Chester
FA Trophy 5th Round Saturday 21st February 2004
Cup football, and a pretty dire first half. Lots of shots from both sides but very few on target, all-in-all a bitty first half with neither side taking control, and neither side troubling either goalie too much. The question was, how to change it at half time ? Ben Davies had a bit of a stinker in the first period so I decided to put young Adam Hunter in his place, the young lad has impressed me when given his chances so I had no hesitation in using him here. I decided to leave the wide areas as was for the time being although it was an area I would be looking at in the second period. The second half was a much more exciting affair, a real cup tie with Brown making excellent saves on at least three occasions to prevent Stanley from scoring. Chester did nick a goal in a goalmouth melee following a Gary Bowman corner, both Stamp and Harris had shots blocked on or near the line but Kevin Rapley had no such problems as he drove the ball in from seven yards out. Chester held on resolutely thereafter in the face of some determined attacking. Brown was again excellent, as was Greg Strong, his best performance for a while. The final whistle came with the score 1-0 to Chester. Wayne Brown got man of the match, again Chester advance to the sixth round.

We get a trcky draw in the sixth round of the FA trophy, the quarter finals, away at Exeter City.

Stevenage 3-1 Chester
Conference Wednesday 25th February 2004
Away at the team fourth in the table this game could have gone one of two ways a sterling perofrmance by the lads or a raving disaster. We went for the disaster option. Stevenage scored within the opening minute, and it just got worse from there. The first came when Bolland failed to cut out a Frost long ball and Justin Skinner shot home from the edge of the box. He took the goal well, and that seemed to set the standard for the game. The second came on 22 minutes when Chester's defence failed to clear a corner and Holt headed the ball home when the cross came back over. It was all Stevenage for the rest of the half, but they couldn't make any more of their advantage. 2-0 at thalf time, then, and was I not best pleased ? I took [B}Baltacha[/B],Harris and Clare off at half time, all three had had terrible halves, not that any of my players (goalkeeper Brown apart) could claim any better. All my ranting at the half failed to have much effect though and Stevenage were three up shortly after the break. On 50 minutes Frost headed home a Holt long throw. He rose unchalleneged, and even Wayne Brown doesn't come out to well of that one. But he did raise his game to keep Stevenage out for the rest of the game. Chester got a consolation goal near the end when Kevin Rapley fired in a loose clearance from the edge of the box, the only high point from an offensive viewpoint. A very dissapointing game, not the form of promotion candidates by any means. Andy Holt picked up the man-of-the-match award. Chester drop to third, although Stevenage are now only a point behind, with a game in hand. Worrying, indeed, harder training this week I think.

Andy Harris declared himself unhappy at being subbed. I warned him, telling him that if I'd have played that badly I'd have been too embarrssed to play on. When the next team is announced, who do you think'll get dropped ?

Exeter 1-1 Chester
Conference Saturday 28th February 2004
Another tricky away game to follow the last debacle. Changes were inevitable after the last performance with Harris,Clare and Baltacha all getting the opportunity to sit this one out. A good game of football followed, but one in which neither side could gain the upper hand. The defences dominated limiting each side to two shots on target each, shots which the goalkeepers dealt with admirably, especially in the case of Stamp's 44th minute header which was acrobatically tipped over by the Exeter net minder Rice. Nil-Nil at half time. The game continued in pretty much the same vein until the 69th minute, when Exeter scored. Scott Canham was the first to a long through ball and steered it successfully past brown for his first senior goal. Chester then upped the tempo and were level on 75 minutes when Michael Twiss curled a free kick on the edge of the box around the wall and into the top right corner. The game petered out after that with few chances going to either side and at the death the 1-1 scoreline seemed a more than fair result. Man of the match was Chester's on-loan winger Ben Stevens, Chester drop a place to fourth after Stevenage's 4-1 hammering of Woking at home.

The bad news to come out of the match was that Twissy had picked up an injury and would be out for two weeks, also the physio reported that both Stamp and Davies were in need of a rest.

29th February this year was League Cup final day, and in the game rich boys Chelsea humbled Liverpool 3-0 at the Millenium Stadium.

Unsurprisingly, given his team's rise through the upper echelons of the table Stevenage's Graham Westley was named Manager of the Month for Feb.

retired_milla0225

Chester Chronicle

Goalkeeper takes kick off in bizarre incident at The Deva

In a bizarre incident in the Conference game between Chester and Forest Green on 7th February 2004, Chester keeper Wayne Brown was seen to take the kick off in the second half. Why this happened no-one, not least of all this reporter, knows. Maybe the boffins at SI Towers can answer this one ?

The game finished 0-0.

Johnny Journo Jnr. Cub Reporter

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The weblog of the Hackmeister

Inconstency threat to promotion

Everything's not rosy in the Chester garden. After an excellent month of January the wheels have come off again in February. Only one league win, along with two draws and two defeats is not the form of Champions. Indeed I doubt if The Blues will be able to make up the gap that has now grown between them and Aldershot at the top.

Manager Kinsale did well in Jan, and was rightly awarded Manager of the Month, but he has been unable to take the club on in February and the challenge is falling, has fallen ?, away. Too much inconsistency from Ray Kinsale. As I've said many times before, consistency is the key in this division, and unless Chester can pick this up sharpish in March, then this season is lost.

Harry Hackmeister, live from a foxhole in Blacon

retired_milla0225

March

Farnborough 2-0 Chester
Conference Wednesday 3rd March 2004
A Chester side low on confidence, was what I saw today, a team, lying fourth in the table coming to the team in fourteenth spot and having rings run round them. The first half was embarrassing, and Chester were fortunate to only be two down at the break. The first came on 10 minutes Lewis Scott heading home his first goal for Farnborough from a corner. The marking for this one was non-existant. Farnborough dominated the match but failed to double their lead until the 40th minute when Danny Collins gifted them a penalty when he was caught backing in. Fiston Manualle dispatched the spot kick with aplomb. Tea-cup time again at half time with both Collins and Strong being relieved of defensive duties. I decided to persist with Clare for the moment as he can always score goals. Nothing happened of any interest at all in the second half, however, and the score remained two-nil. Lewis Scott was man of the match and Chester stay fourth.

Chester 1-1 Northwich
Conference Saturday 6th March 2004
Some changes made to all parts of the team today. Some of the players, I have to admit, look jaded, and that meant the bench or worse for Stamp, Rapley, Carden, Davies, yes, all my best players. Still, they didn't look like winning on Wednesday, so let's see what some fresh faces can do. In come Brodie, Hunter, Ruffer and making his first start of the season Shaun Carey. Strong was also dropped form the defence Baltacha returning. Northwich were gifted a start by the referee who awarded them a penalty on 12 minutes, for I know not what. A complete mystery. Barnard gratefully accepted the gift on Northwich's behalf. This was to be their only attempt on goal in the entire half. Chester had a number of chances Brodie was twice guilty of shooting straight at the keeper when it looked easier to score, and Chris Holmes in The Vics was impressive but Chester did score an equaliser, right on the stroke of half time. It was scored from 20 yards out by Shaun Carey who was becoming more impressive as the half wore on. It was a good move down the right, featuring Brodie who cut the ball back to the edge of the box for Carey to power it home. 1-1 at half time, then. I took Ben Stevens off at half time and replaced him with Harris. This will be Stevens' last game for the club. The second half petered out as Northwich raised it's defensive efforts whilst not offering anything extra up front. Chester couldn't break them down and the game ended 1-1. Bowman, restored to the left was man of the match. Chester stay fourth. Now six points behind Stevenage in third and six points ahead of Telford in fifth.

The recent run of poor form led me back into the loan market and I was a busy boy. I brought in three players until the end of the season Richard Goodchild a 21 year old centre back on loan from Norwich and two players on loan from Coventry City. Kirk Miller another defender (aged 20) and Mark Noon a 20 year old attacking midfielder. All three had been playing well in their team's reserve set ups, and all three look forward to getting a bit of experience at a competetive level of football.

Exeter 2-0 Chester
FA Trophy 6th round Saturday 13th March 2004
Noon and Miller were brought in for this one at the expense of Hunter who was unlucky and Bolland who wasn't. Stamp returned after his rest, replacing Brodie as did Rapley which meant that Ben Stevens would start his last game for the club on the bench. A frankly dire first half of football followed. Neither side was able to stamp any kind of authority on the game. A tame Clare header, easily tended by the Exeter keeper was the only effort either side had in the entire half. A bit dire as a spectacle. I made one change at the half, bringing Carden on for Ruffer, just in the hope that Carden's better attacking attributes could spark something for Chester. I elected to leave Stamp on, though he was carrying a knock. The game continued to go to plan until the 61st minute when Carden limped out of a heavy challenge and had to come off. This meant bringing on Goodchild so that we had a defence with now not one, but two, completely new players in it. Exeter scored twice, both resulting from corners. The first came on 72 when Flack evaded his marker to head home unchallenged and the second came ten minutes later when Robinson fired the ball in from the edge of the box after it had been only half cleared by the hesitant Chester defence. There was no way back for Chester after this, and we crash out of the Trophy. Exeter's Edward Forbes was named man-of-the-match.

The news from the physio was that Carden had sprained his ankle and both he and Stamp would be out for a few days.

Ben Stevens completed his loan period and returned to Rangers. In his time at Chester he made 17 starting and one substitue appearance with an average rating of 6.39.

chester 2-0 Scarborough
Conference Wednesday 17th March 2004
A chance fairly quickly to get back on track. A first half ensued in which I was pleased to see Chester dominate for the first time in a while, but for all the chances they made they couldn't score. Poor finishing rather than great goalkeeping being the main reason for that. Scarborough had just one wayward shot to their name in the first half, but I warned the lads at half time, that that wasn't likely to continue. I bought Noon and Stamp on for Carey and Clare at half time. Scarborough did indeed come out fighting, but their shooting was even more waywards than Chester's had been in the first period. On more than one occasion Brown was left totally exposed only to see the Scarborugh forward blaze the ball either wide or over. Meanwhile Chester kept plugging away and eventually got the reward they deserved. And it was all down to some ratehr wise substitutions, if I say so myself. The first came on 79 minutes when Twiss broke down the left and pulled the ball back from the byline. Noon met it sweetly enough cracking a drive from ten yards out that Downey performed some sort of miracle on to keep it out. The ball rebounded out however, where Stamp was on hand to sweep it into the net. One became two on 83 minutes when a Bowman long throw was converted at the second attempt by Twiss. Downey, once again, having kept the first effort out. After two goals in four minutes the game was won and Chester took their foot off the pedal. A 2-0 win then, and a well deserved one at that. Kirk Miller was named man-of-the-match for a fine defensive display, he looks to have fitted right in. Chester stay comfortably in fourth spot.

Halifax 0-2 Chester
Conference Saturday 20th March 2004
An entertaining game of football in the first half, this, with Chester making most of the running, but Halifax also supplying their share of the excitment. Chester managed to keep most of their shots on traget, but were met with Clint Davies in the Halifax goal in great form. At the other end Brown also made a couple of good saves to keep the game goalless as it approached half time. But a goal did come in the first period, on 41 minutes. Bowman won the bll on the left and knocked it down the line for Twiss, who took the ball unchallenged into the box. He then hit the ball across the face of the six yards box to find Clare in acres of space to slot the ball home. A well worked goal but the Halifax fans will be wondering where their defence had gone to. I replaced Carden with Harris at half time. Carden hadn't played well, and he'd been booked, so a change was inevitable. Chester continued to dominate the game but contrived not to score a second, and make the last 15 minutes increasingly tense for their manager who, I can now report, likes to tear his hair out in stressful situations. Chester did get a second, with the last kick of the match. Twiss looking an acre offside, it must be said, galloping down the pitch and taking the ball round the keeper, before slotting it home. A 2-0 win, then, and a grey haired manager. Kirk Miller was again outstanding in defence and was again named man-of-the-match, although Twiss and Clare did well up front. Chester stay fourth but are now only three points behind Dag & Red in third spot.

Chairman Vaughan had the good grace to tell me how pleased he was with the win on Saturday. Have to say, looking back, I'm quite impressed with it myself.

No game the following weekend so we were right through to the end of the month. Graham Westley won manager of the month again, and the transfer dealine passed with me rejecting another offer from Brentofrd for Twiss. Meanwhile we marked the transfer deadline ourselves by just beating it to sign Matt O'Halloran, a 20 year old right winger, on loan from Barnsley until the end of the season, more as cover for the first team as anything else.

retired_milla0225

The Harry Hackmeister Weblog

A corner turned ?

Another month passes with Chester stuck in fourth spot, but things have begun to look up, or is that jumping the gun ??? After continuing the poor run into the start of the month manager Kinsale has bitten the bullet and gone to the loan market. In doing this he appears to have uncovered a gem. Young Coventry defender Kirk Miller is the man in question, outsatnding in the last two games of the month, which Chester, by no small coincidence, won. Miller is strangely deemed surplus to requirements at Coventry. We've got him to the end of the season, but should Ray Kinsale look to make this a more permenant arrangement. This journalist, for one, thinks so.

As far as the season goes, the promotion spot looks out of reach now, let's hope City can re-center themselves on getting into the playoffs.

Harry Hackmeister, live from a bunker in Hoole

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The Chester Evening Leader & The Chester Chronicle

A Special Festive Edition

A Very Happy Christmas to all our readers

Sir Barrington Smythers-Hackmeister III, proprietor Chronicle Group Newspapers

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Memo from The Editor : Chester Evening Leader

To: Editor:Chester Chronicle

I think Sir Barrington's lost it, doesn't he know it's the end of March ???

retired_milla0225

April

No game in the Conference on the first Saturday in the month, the third, due to our non participation in the FA Trophy semi-finals. Aldershot won in the league and secured themseleves a playoff place at least, but Chester stay safely in fourth spot as Telford, in fifth, fail to make any ground as they lose at home.

In the Fa Cup semi finals, the following day Liverpool set up a final against old rivals Man Utd, Liverppol with a creditable win over Arsenal in the semi, whilst Man Utd overcame the first division's representative Nottingham Forest in a closer than expected encounter.

Chester 1-0 Barnet
Conference Wednesday 7th April 2004
A very evenly contested game this with Chester having a slight edge in as much as they scored the only goal of the first half. Barnet competed well in the game, and Chester also didn't shirk the fight with some good football being played by both sides in the midst of all the changes of posession. It was Chester who scored though, on 21 minutes. Carey won a ball in the Barnet half and pushed a delightfully weighted ball into the box for Twiss to run on to. This he did before blasting a shot that Shane Gore in the Barnet net did well to get anything on. He could only parry the ball out, however, into Bowman's path. The Scotsman had no problem tucking the ball away for his first goal for the club. Well deserved it's been too. Neither side managed any further clear cut chances and Chester ended the half, with ther noses in front, 1-0. At the half I took off Noon and Clare, neither of whom had had good first halves and replaced them with Davies and Stamp. The second half was all Barnet, although Chester did have the best chance when a Twiss header from a Carden corner was cleared off the line, but other than that it was all Barnet and Wayne Brown and his defence kept them out manfully. It was Bowman who picked up man-of-the-match award, but in many eyes, my own included, it should have been Brown. Thanks to the goalie and the defence Barnet couldn't get back on terms, and the game finished 1-0 to Chester. Chester stay fourth but are now only two points behind Stevenage who have slipped to third.

Tamworth 0-0 Chester
Conference Saturday 10th April 2004
Chester took their time to get into this game having been disrupted early on by a couple of injuries. Collins had to go off after only 3 minutes. Kirk Miller follwowed him on 11 after a 'collision' with Arnaud One, we remember him from the game at our place. It was half an hour before the first shot came in from either side. Chester managed a good passage of pressure for a while around this time but couldn't break through. Disaster struck on the stroke of half time as substitute Harris, being played out of position as centre back, also had to come off injured meaning we'd have to play the second half with Carden in defence and Carey as defensive midfielder. We simply didn't have the width on the pitch or bench to consider a change of formation so the lads would have to play out of position. 0-0 at half time, with this makeshift defence, how long would that last ? As it turned out it was Chester had the better of the chances in the second half too, but, truth be told, they didn't get very close with any of them, the makeshift defence kept out a pretty toothless Tamworth attack with ease. Neither side could break the deadlock and the game ended 0-0. Man-of-the-match was Tamworth keeper Phil Whitehead although that was more a measure of how anonymous everyone else was. Chester stay in fourth, of course. We're now nine points clear of Shrewsbury in fifth and only one behind Stevenage in third, but they do now have a game in hand.

Joe Hinnigan's post match report shows that none of the players injured in yesterday's game will be out for anything more than a couple of days. Meanwhile Rapley is in need of a rest.

On the Wednesday night Stevenage secure themsleves a playoff spot when they beat Dag & Red to reclaim second spot. We are two points behind Dag & Red now, and four behind Stevenage.

Chester 0-0 Burton Albion
Conference Saturday 17th April 2004
I brought in O'Halloran for his first start, in place of the tired Rapley the injured defenders were all fit to resume, and as such the side shows only one change from the last game. A quiet first half ensued in which Chester maanaged to create a couple of chances, but fail to take them and Burton offered nothing. The refreee did spoil the half somewhat by booking three players, one Chester and two Burton, when there wasn't a bad tackle in the half. I decided not make any changes at half time, give them 15 more minutes to stamp their authority on this one. When they failed to do that I swapped Twiss, who had his worst game in a long time for Chester, with Clare who failed to improve things much. The Burton netminder was kept busy but was rarely seriously tested and Burton held on for a 0-0 draw with some comfort. Matt O'Halloran was the star on his debut, putting in a near perfect perfomance for his man-of-the-match accolade. Chester stay fourth but have crept a point closer to Dag & Red. Aldershot need a single point to claim the championship at thier first attempt back in the conference. Hereford become the first team this season to be relegated from the Conference.

Midweek, and Danny Collins picks up an injury in training and will be out for up to three weeks.

Morecambe 1-0 Chester
Conference Saturday 24th April 2004
A tricky away game. Goodchild comes in for the injured Collins and [b}Carey[/B] is dropped, perhaps unfairly to allow Rapley to come in on the left with Bowman reverting to the centre. Morecambe got the early start in this one, scoring on 9 minutes, Miller taking advanatcge of some early confusion in the Chester back line to steal in at the far post unmarked to head past a stranded Brown. Morecambe created more chances, but were very wasteful. They held on to the one-nil lead until the half thanks to their own goalie, Mawson who made a good save to deny O'Halloran after a good run. 1-0 at the half, then, Twiss was again sacrifced after a poor perfomance with Clare coming on. More of the same in the second half, however with Morescmbe missing more chances and Chester failing to take the ones tha they created, a 1-0 defeat then. Morecambe's David Perkins was man of the match. Chester remain in fourth and have now secured a playoff spot, despite the defeat. Aldershot are confirmed as champions a claim the only automatic promotion spot.

Goodchild picked up a knock in the game, and will be out for two weeks. The worrying aspect of this month has been more the lack of goals, however, a situation we'll need to remedy ahead of the playoffs.

At the end of the month Grimsby town's Paul Groves won Conference Manager of the month, which is quite good seeing as Grimsby are in the second division.

retired_quechulapr

Happy Christmas? In March? Oh right, real life >_>