Chester FC: George Horan to play through pain of broken nose

Feb 23 2012 by Paul Wheelock, Chester Chronicle

GEORGE Horan will play through the pain of a broken nose to captain Chester FC in this Saturday’s top-versus-bottom clash against Buxton at the Exacta Stadium (3pm).

The centre-back was taken off against his wishes after sustaining the injury in last Saturday’s draw at Chasetown.

But there is no way Blues boss Neil Young will be able to stop his skipper from taking to the field against relegation-threatened Buxton.

Young said: “We believe he might need an operation but you know what George is like, if he does it won’t be happening until the end of the season. He’ll be playing Saturday.

“He wanted to play on against Chasetown but I took the decision at the time that it would be too dangerous to allow him to do that.

“George is the type of lad who wants to go back on even when he doesn’t know what day it is, so sometimes you’ve got to take the decision out of his hands.”

Unlike Horan, there remains a question mark over whether Michael Wilde (groin) will be fit to face Derbyshire strugglers Buxton..

Young boosted his forward options this week when he completed the signing of Marc Williams.

He reckons the former Wrexham and Wales Under 21s striker will operate best behind a targetman.

But whatever line-up he goes with against Buxton, Young wants his table-topping side to start being more ruthless.

Young said: “People may question why we play this formation or that formation but at the end of the day we’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net. We can’t keep saying to people ‘unlucky, unlucky’. We have to take our opportunities.”

Chester’s crisis-hit title rivals Northwich Victoria, meanwhile, are searching for their third manager in two months after Paul Simpson revealed he will quit after their FA Trophy tie against Newport County on Saturday.

Simpson, who only took over from Andy Preece three weeks ago, has accepted the offer of a coaching role in Portugal.