Chester City 3, Scarborough 2

May 4 2001 by Ian Bedford, Chester Chronicle

A GAME that had little going for it for half-an-hour turned into a highly entertaining tussle on Tuesday and even made Chester fans forget for a while the problems besetting the future of the club.

Less than 800 locals turned up, but those who stayed away missed an absorbing second half which resulted in City snatching a deserved victory and a Conference double.

Rushden and Diamonds manager Brian Talbot was in the audience and may not have been unduly worried by the opposition facing him at the Deva tomorrow.

He was on his way home when news of the Yeovil result meant he can return tomorrow in party mood.

Had David Pounder found the net with his 31st-minute penalty after Matt Woods had fouled Gareth Williams instead of blazing over the bar it may have been a different story.

As it was, Scarborough still managed to take the lead five minutes before the break when Scott Jordan's free-kick may have been deflected by a City defender for the opening goal.

On the stroke of half-time, though, Chester were level when Neil Fisher stroked the ball into an empty net after Mark Beesley and Steve Whitehall had done the spadework.

The game turned back Scarborough's way after 51 minutes when substitute Jamie Burt cashed in on an error by Andy Porter, but a minute later Beesley scrambled home the equaliser.

Chester now had the bit between their teeth and looked hungrier than they had done for some time on home ground.

Although the game could have gone either way in the rest of the half luck was on City's side when Matt Doughty, who was influential as a substitute after the break, drove in a free-kick which the unfortunate Brad Piercewright deflected past goalkeeper Andy Woods.

Chester: Priestley, Moss (Kerr 84), Ruscoe, Lancaster, Woods (Doughty 45), Woodyatt, Wright (Porter 45), Blackburn, M Beesley, Whitehall, Fisher. Subs: Mackin, Berry.

Booked: Beesley.

Scarborough: Woods, Atkinson (Dawson 54), Brunton, Rennison, Keegan, Piercewright, Jordan, Blunt, Pounder, Brodie (Diallo 80), Williams (Burt 38). Subs: Newton, Jewell.

Booked: Piercewright.

Referee: M Atkinson.

Attendance: 805.