Chester FC 2 Ashton Utd 1: Blues edge into next round of FA Trophy

Oct 22 2011 by Mark Dowling, Chester Chronicle

Chester FC eased into the next round of the FA Trophy after edging out Ashton Utd at the Exacta Stadium.

The Blues rarely got out of second gear throughout the match, having taken the lead as early as the second minute.

Iain Howard was given free rein by the Ashton defence to go on an attacking run and allowed to have a shot from just outside the box. Howard made the most of the opportunity and fired a sweetly-taken shot past keeper Terry Smith.

Chester pressed in search of a second throughout the rest of the second half but it was an altogether disjointed performance from the home side, with luckless striker Jamie Rainford unable to finish the few chances he had available.

Rainford was unfortunate not to double Chester's lead in the eighth minute when he headed wide from a Robbie Booth cross, while Smith got the better of him in a one-on-one chance on 39 minutes, the goalkeeper palming the ball away from Rainford's feet.

A double substitution for the Blues injected some pace as Michael Wilde and surprise package Chris Simm were brought on in place of Booth and Matty McNeil.

Cast-wearing Simm was allowed to play despite breaking his wrist in a freak accident at home just a few days ago, but he still looked the most lively on the pitch following his introduction.

But it was Wilde who doubled Chester's lead on 62 minutes, a Matty McGinn free kick superbly whipped in from near the halfway line to find Wilde, who glanced the ball into the net.

Five minutes later, Ashton's Kyle Harrop was shown a straight red for a two-footed challenge on Alex Brown.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors came into the game more and won a penalty on 71 minutes when Aaron Burns was felled in the box by Howard, who was lucky to receive just a yellow card for his troubles.

Peter Wright stepped up and drilled the penalty home past John Danby to make the score 2-1.

The Blues upped their game slightly in the closing minutes, Wilde firing just over with an overhead kick, but Ashton substitute Sam Madely nearly grabbed an unlikely equaliser when he shot just over the bar with one minute of normal time to go.

Chester will find out their opponents in the next round of the competition on Monday.

Chester FC: Danby, Baynes, McGinn, Horan, Taylor, Brown, Booth (Wilde 54), Powell, Rainford (Wright 83), McNeil (Simm 54), Howard.

Unused subs: Brownhill, Smith.

Booked: Brown, Wright.

Ashton Utd: Terry Smith, Harrop, Dawson, Lambert (Bathurst 81), Melling, Roberts, O'Neill (Kosylo 52), Bennett, Burns, Wright, Peers (Madely 81).

Unused subs: Ben Smith, Rose.

Sent off: Harrop.

Man of the match: McGinn.

Referee: Daniel Meeson (Newcastle Under Lyme)

Attendance: 1,624.