Hereford Utd 2 Chester City 2

Apr 6 2008 by David Triggs, Chester Chronicle

KEVIN Ellison’s injury-time spot-kick saw the Blues round off a stunning comeback at Edgar Street on Saturday (April 5).

Trailing 2-0 at half time to promotion-chasing Hereford, City refused to be beaten and Kevin Sandwith’s spectacular 68th-minute goal halved the deficit.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Chester were awarded a penalty after John McCombe handled Shaun Kelly’s goal-bound header.

Ellison kept his composure to beat Hereford’s former Chester keeper Wayne Brown from the spot – earning the Blues a priceless point in their fight to beat the drop.

City had been second best during a one-sided first half.

Bulls skipper Ben Smith volleyed the hosts into a 25th-minute lead and the dangerous Gary Hooper exposed a huge hole in the City defence to make it 2-0 on 35 minutes.

But Sandwith’s left-footed piledriver handed the visitors a lifeline – and Ellison completed the salvage operation late on with his 11th goal of the season.

Hereford: Brown, McClenahan, Beckwith, McCombe, Rose, Igoe (Johnson 67), Smith, Diagouraga, Easton, Hooper, Guinan.

Subs: Esson, Robinson, Taylor, Collins.

Booked: Rose.

Goals: Smith 25, Hooper 35.

Chester: Danby, Roberts, Butler (Kelly 46), Linwood, Wilson, Partridge (McManus 41), Sandwith, Hughes, Rutherford, Murphy, Ellison.

Subs: Palethorpe, Rule, Stephen Vaughan.

Booked: Ellison.

Goals: Sandwith 68, Ellison 90 pen.

Attendance: 3,210

Referee: Phil Joslin (Nottinghamshire).