Chester FC 3 Barrow 2
What a way to win it!
Lucas Dawson proved the hero for Chester FC as he drove home a winner in the 94th minute to seal a 3-2 success over fellow strugglers Barrow.
Chester were coasting at one point after new signing Jordan Archer opened the scoring on 11 minutes and Reece Hall-Johnson rifled home a second on 25 minutes.
But two soft goals in first half added time, netted by Adi Yussuf and Byron Harrison had Barrow level at the break. It was a ridiculous end to the half.
But Chester got the result they deserved at the death as Dawson slammed home from 18 yards to seal a vital win for Marcus Bignot’s men.
Despite still be in October, the game had the air of a real six-pointer.
Both sides had endured a miserable season so far and both had made managerial changes already - twice in the case of Barrow.
While Jon McCarthy paid the price for Chester’s poor start with the sack in September, Barrow had their third man in charge during what has been a season of tumult so far at Holker Street.
Paul Cox left shortly after the beginning of the season and was replaced by Bignot’s former right-hand man at Grimsby Town, Mick Moore, who had been temporarily aided by the Blues boss before he got the Chester job.
But Moore was sacked last week and assistant manager Neill Hornby took charge for the 3-2 loss at Ebbsfleet United on Saturday and was given the caretaker role again for the visit to the Swansway Chester Stadium.
There were plenty of familiar faces on the playing side of things as Paul Turnbull and Ross Hannah faced the club they left in the summer for the first time while Chester boss Bignot’s brother, Paul, was in opposition squad.
Bignot handed debuts to new signings Archer and Jordan Gough while Turnbull and Hannah returned to the starting line-up as Offrande Zanzala and Lathaniel Rowe-Turner dropped to the bench with Jordan Chapell dropping out of the squad altogether.
Bignot opted for a diamond formation in midfield to start the game and Chester saw more of the ball in the opening 10 minutes but were unable to create anything of not.
But debutant Archer got his Chester career off to a flying start on 11 minutes when he raced on to a Lucas Dawson pass down the right, bursting into the area before coolly firing an angled effort past Joel Dixon in the Barrow goal.
The goal gave Chester a major confidence boost and they got on the front foot and put Barrow under pressure in the minutes that followed with some nice link-up play between Hannah and Archer almost resulting in the new signing connecting but his effort deflected out for a corner.
Hannah then worked Dixon after cutting in from the right and getting of a fierce effort from 20 yards, but the Barrow stopper got his body behind it.
Chester were the aggressors and doubled their advantage on 25 minutes.
Kingsley James slipped a pass through to Archer who checked back at the byline to lay off Gough whose dangerous cross was cleared as far as Hall-Johnson on the edge of the area, and the Grimsby Town loanee made no mistake in rifling a sweetly struck effort beyond Dixon for 2-0.
Barrow looked bereft of confidence but did show a little more in the minutes the followed the goal, but Chester’s rearguard coped competently and limited the Bluebirds to precious little.
James was impressing in midfield for Chester, winning headers and picking the right pass while Archer and Hannah already looked to be forming a partnership up front.
It could have been 3-0 on 37 minutes when a Dawson corner was headed goalwards by Ryan Astles and scrambled clear to John McCombe whose back heel found Hannah but his strike deflected over for another corner.
Chester were cruising towards the break - or so it seemed.
Seconds after the board was held up signalling added time of two minutes, Barrow pulled one back.
A long punt upfield was raced onto by Adi Yussuf after McCombe mis-timed bounce and fired past Alex Lynch.
It was more than what the visitors had deserved, but worse was still to come.
Less than a minute later the Blue and birds were level when Astles lost out to Byron Harrison when under pressure on the edge of the area and the Barrow striker lashed an effort from just inside the area past Lynch. It was a disaster for the Blues after they had totally dominated their visitors until added time in the opening half. They were both soft goals, though, that will no doubt have made for an interesting half time discussion.
Chester were less cavalier going forward after the break and the manner of the first-half added time capitulation made for some nervy moments at the back as Barrow’s long-ball tactic caused problems.
It was the Blues who had the first effort of the half, though when a deep Dawson free kick was flicked over Astles while two fairly soft shouts for Blues penalties were ignored by referee Joe Johnson.
And Hannah saw an audacious 40-yard effort drop just wide of the post after he tried to catch Dixon unawares after breaking from the halfway line.
But the fluid movement of the first half wasn’t there in the second and the Blues were far more laboured in their approach play.
And Barrow substitute Harry Panyiotou came close to putting his side in front on 75 minutes when his header from a right-wing cross dropped inches wide of Lynch’s left-hand post.
Chester rallied slightly and James went close when he connected well with an effort from 18 yards after a Dawson free kick was cleared into his path, while Archer and substitute Offrande Zanzala both went for the same Harry White cross at the near post and got in each others way with with Dixon picking up the loose ball.
Zanzala nearly won it at the death when he twisted and turned before seeing a point blank effort saved by Dixon, but the best was yet to come.
When it seemed all hope was lost, a clearance after a scramble in the box fell to Dawson to drive home from 18 yards to spark joyous scenes.
It was the result Chester deserved.
MATCH FACTS
Chester: Lynch, Gough, Hall-Johnson, McCombe, Astles, James, Turnbull, Dawson, Shaw (Zanzala 63), Archer (Bell 86), Hannah (H White 70). Subs not used: Halls, Rowe-Turner.
Bookings: Shaw.
Goals: Archer 11, Hall-Johnson 25, Dawson 90+4.
Barrow: Dixon, Barthram, Bauress, Hall, Bignot, Diagne, Hughes (Thompson 90), Gomis, Clements, Yussuf (Panayiotou 71), Harrison. Subs not used: Moore, J White, Makoma.
Bookings: Clements.
Goals: Yussuf 45+1, Harrison 45+2.
Referee: Joe Johnson.
Attendance: 1,548.
Star man: Paul Turnbull.
