Chester City 0, Canvey Island 2 (agg 0-4)

Apr 8 2001 by Neil Turner

CHESTER CITY'S FA Trophy dreams were buried in the Deva Stadium mud on Saturday as the unsung heroes of Canvey Island comprehensively swept into next month's Villa Park final with an ease that must even have surprised them.

Not to put too fine a point on it, City's performance was a passionless hotch-potch of incompetence.

The men from Essex, who led 2-0 from the first leg, always looked in control after they took the lead in the 29th minute through Steve Parmenter, the pint-sized striker taking advantage of some dreadful marking to hammer skipper Steve Tilson's cross home from 10 yards.

Prior to the goal Mark Beesley had spurned two glorious close-range chances for Chester and leading scorer Steve Whitehall mis-cued with just keeper Harrison to beat.

City's best chance of the second period came via Canvey defender Steve Ward, who rattled his own post from 10 yards with an attempted back pass.

On the hour, the visitors' Villa Park dream was confirmed when Mark Stimsons' sweetly struck 18-yard drive fizzed into the City net.

Chester's current situation, particularly off the field, has been too much for a percentage of City's supporters to bear, Saturday's game being played to the backdrop of constant vocal chants and placards, calling for City's owners Terry Smith's resignation.

As a result, 12 of the protestors were ejected from the ground by a combination of local policemen and club stewards.

After the game City boss Graham Barrow declared: "I have no excuses, our performance just wasn't good enough.

"They beat us fair and square and good luck to them. Some of our younger players have got to learn about the game quickly.

"Obviously some of the goings on behind the scenes haven't helped, but we are professional footballers and we should be totally focused on the game."

It is understood that an announcement will be made later today about the sale of the club to a local Merseyside-based businessman and his partners.

CHESTER CITY: Brown, Fisher (Haarhoff, 46), Doughty, Lancaster, Woods, P Beesley (Gaunt, 65), Cardin, Blackburn, M Beesley, Whitehall, Ruscoe. Subs (not used): Priestley, Moss, Wright.

CANVEY ISLAND: Harrison, Kennedy, Duffy, Chenery, Bodley, Ward, Tilson, Stimson, Gregory, Vaughan (Jones, 68), Parmenter. Subs (not used): Bennett, Miller, Smith, Tanner.

REFEREE: Mr Mike Warren (Walsall)

ATTENDANCE: 2,647.