CHESTER CITY will make another excursion into the transfer market today when they confirm the permanent employment of one player and the temporary addition of a much-needed target man.

City have agreed a fee of £15,000 with Oxford United for the transfer of ex-Southport central defender Phil Bolland.

The 24-year-old player has been on loan at the Deva Stadium for the past six weeks and will complete the formalities of the move later today.

City chairman Stephen Vaughan said last night: "It's an exciting signing for Chester. Phil has been exceptional during his loan period and we are extremely pleased to have agreed all the formalities."

The permanent signing of Bolland means that a loan spot is freed up and that should be filled within hours of the completion of the Oxford United deal by Leyton Orient striker Chris Tate. He will join on one month's loan with the opportunity to extend the agreement.

"Chris is hopefully the final piece in the jigsaw that Mark Wright has been creating. We expect to have Chris in our side for the game against Scarborough tomorrow," added Vaughan.

"I've spoken to Orient chairman Barry Hearn and he is agreeable, so everything appears to be in place."

The match against Scarborough is the second of three successive games against teams in the lower reaches of the Nationwide Conference.

Saturday's clash against Leigh RMI was basically a case of a bad day at the office for City's strikers, with a number of chances being spurned.

It is a measure of Chester's improvement under Mark Wright that the home supporters were slightly deflated at the loss of two points, but the draw did stretch City's unbeaten run to 11 games.

Chester took the lead after seven minutes when man of the match Gary Brabin rose above his marker to head in a Lee Woodyatt free kick from 10 yards.

City's leading scorer Mark Beesley was guilty of two glaring misses in quick succession. After 27 minutes he shot wide from six yards, then with only Westhead in the visitors' goal to beat he hesitated, allowing Durkin to get in a saving tackle.

The equaliser came after 41 minutes when Michael Twiss won the ball just inside his own half and took it forward, before cutting inside and hitting a low shot from 18 yards, which took a deflection off the legs of Bolland and found the corner of the net.

After 55 minutes Black had a golden opportunity to put the visitors into the lead, but as the Chester defence stood vainly appealing for offside, the striker shot well over from eight yards.

A succession of poor finishes and a couple of outstanding saves from Westhead denied Chester full points in the closing stages.

City boss Wright reflected: "Leigh are a much better side than many people give them credit for. They worked hard and deserve their point. We had chances that possibly we should have put away, but unfortunately we didn't. That's football!"

CHESTER CITY: W Brown, Woodyatt, Carden, Lancaster, Bolland, McElhatton, Brabin, Carey, McGorry (Blackburn 68), Spink (Haarhoff 57), Beesley (Malkin 57). Subs not used: Williams, M O'Brien.

Referee: Mr A Marriner (Coventry). Attendance: 1,572...SUPL: