Hayes 1, Chester City 3

Mar 5 2001 Chester Chronicle Series

Two second-half penalties secured another three points and moved Chester up to fourth place in the Nationwide Conference table.

Graham Barrow's team fully deserved to take the points and, despite a small blip after the interval, always looked in control against a side that has not won a league game at home since September.

Chester, with a strong wind behind them, started the brighter and created all the chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Paul Beesley headed just over early on, while Scott Ruscoe had a free header minutes later but glided it the wrong side of the post.

The opening goal came on 37 minutes, Matt Woods finding Darren Moss on the right and the latter's cross to the far post was retrieved by Ruscoe, whose header was deflected in by Mark Beesley for the first of his two goals.

Hayes offered little but City, with the wind now against them, sat back after the break.

The tactic nearly proved costly for the visitors when former Northern Ireland international Jimmy Quinn met a harmless cross on the edge of the box to head over Phil Priestley.

Within two minutes though, Chester restored their lead.

Mark Beesley latched on to a poor backpass and pressurised Hayes goalkeeper Paul Gothard into wrestling him to the ground.

Beesley got up to score the penalty against substitute keeper Matt Hodson, who had replaced the red carded Gothard.

Ten minutes from time the visitors made the points safe. Matt Woods tried to round Hodson and was tripped up.

This time Woods stroked home the spot kick, Mark Beesley having been substituted, to secure the win.

Mark Molesley and Quinn had late chances for The Missioners but Chester coped comfortably.

City manager Barrow was not getting carried away with the victory and is already looking ahead to next weekend's FA Trophy clash with Southport.

He said: "We lost our way a bit at the start of the second half but it was pleasing to come through and this should give us a boost for Saturday's trophy match."

Hayes boss Terry Brown said Gothard's error had been the turning point of the game.

"I was very disappointed that an individual error again probably cost us three points," he said.

"After we scored I thought there was only going to be one winner and that was us."

HAYES: Gothard, Molesley, Nyamah, watts (Coppard 85), sterling, Goodliffe (Telemaque 82), McKimm, Preston, Quinn, Hodson, Moore.

CHESTER CITY: Priestley, Moss, Doughty, Lancaster, Gaunt, Paul Beesley, Carden, Fisher, Woods, Mark Beesley (Haarhoff 70), Ruscoe (Whitehall 81).

Subs not used: Woodyat, Berry, Wright.