TWO young Chester goalkeepers with ambitions to play for England's senior side were feeling sore last weekend for very different reasons.

Tom Heaton, of Guilden Sutton, is nursing a fractured jaw after colliding with a German forward during his fourth appearance for England's Under 16s team at Leicester last Thursday.

And 21-year-old Kristian Rogers, of Huntington, a former England Under 18 cap, is coming to terms with Wrexham's high profile FA Cup exit at giantkillers Hereford United on Sunday.

Sky television viewers saw Tom, a pupil at Upton High School, stretchered off the Filbert Street pitch in the first half of the 2-0 defeat, ending up in hospital having two plates inserted in his jaw and minus a few teeth.

Said his father Dave, who was at the match with his wife and daughter: 'We had a good view of the incident and our hearts were in our mouths. We dashed down to the dressing room to see him and he was conscious, but feeling groggy.

'He is feeling a bit sorry for himself, because he also admitted responsibility for the first German goal, but he will bounce back. He is very determined and is focused on what he wants to do.'

Tom is a member of Manchester United's academy and hopes to be offered a contract next year, but he will be out of action for six to eight weeks while he recovers from his injuries.

Kristian, who used to go to Christleton High School and is now a regular in Wrexham's struggling second division team, was disappointed by his team's 1-0 defeat at Edgar Street, which was screened live on BBC.

'The score should have been about 12-2 to us,' he said. 'I don't think I could have done anything about the goal. I saved the long-range shot by tipping it against the bar, but the lad who scored from the rebound was unmarked.'

Rogers was happier on Tuesday night after keeping a clean sheet in a Division Two victory at fellow strugglers Cambridge United, to ease the Dragons' relegation fears.