Southport 3, Chester City 2

Aug 23 2001 by Kevin Hughes, Ellesmere Port Pioneer

TWO games gone and Chester are rock bottom of the Conference with no points and seemingly no hope.

Southport - just like Woking on Saturday -­ got off to a great start start with a goal in the first minute after veteran Shaun Teale's header skidded past Wayne Brown following a Gary Bauress free kick.

But it was Brown's superb display of goalkeeping during the rest of the first period that meant Chester went for half time still in with a shout.

And City, who must have wondered how they were only one goal behind at the start of the second half, managed to draw level after Mark Beesley glanced a header into the Southport net on 51 minutes.

Seven minutes later and City were down to 10 men. Michael Rose, who had been booked in the first half, saw red after upending Simon Parke.

Southport raised their game after Rose left for his early bath and regained the lead in the 67th minute.

A long Dickinson clearance was headed on by Steve Jones and Parke side-footed home past Brown.

Southport then went down to 10 men after Parke was shown a red card for kicking the ball away.

But he had hardly reached the dressing room before his team scored a third when Steve Jones drove home from close range.

Chester rallied and when Dickinson failed to hold a free-kick from Steve Rose, substitute Darren Wright stabbed home.