CHESTER’S run of eight straight wins and clean sheets came to an end as they had to settle for a share of the spoils from a blood-and-thunder clash at Silverlands.

Top-scorer Michael Powell headed the Blues in front on the stroke of half-time but Buxton got the point their stirring second-half display deserved after Josh Wilde became the first player to beat John Danby in 781 minutes of football.

Both sides had chances to win it but a draw was the fairest result in a game overshadowed by a series of bafflingly bad decisions by the officials – the worst of which handed the hosts a golden opportunity to open the scoring six minutes before the break.

George Horan clearly won the ball when challenging Kieran Lugsden in the box. However one of Marc Perry’s assistants disagreed and the referee pointed to the spot to the fury of the large travelling away support.

But justice was done when Steve Ridley dragged his attempt past the dive of Danby but also past the post.

It would have come against the run had Buxton taken the lead at that point, although they had tested Danby for the first time in the match moments earlier through Michael Towey.

It was Chester who had been doing most of the running and only a goal-line clearance prevented Michael Wilde from scoring on his first start of the season.

Although the visitors were unable to make the most of their early dominance, they picked up the pace after Ridley’s penalty miss and Iain Howard went desperately close before Powell broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute.

The midfielder took his tally for the term up to seven with a deft flick from an inswinging Wes Baynes free kick delivered to perfection.

The Blues thought they had doubled their advantage seconds later but Matty McNeil was adjudged to have been offside when turning in another inviting cross from birthday boy Baynes, who was celebrating turning 23.

But  the Derbyshire outfit survived until half-time and then equalised 10 minutes after the restart when left-back Josh Wilde finished off a well-worked move to end Danby’s club record run without conceding a goal.

The momentum had shifted and Mark Reed – up against the club he left last month – should have done better than blaze over the bar after Danby failed to deal with a difficult cross.

On a wet and heavy surface Chester – who were the victims of some crude challenges as the game wore on – were struggling to keep the ball on the floor and only once did they look like finding a winner.

Jamie Rainford played a one-two with fellow substitute Chris Simm before pulling the ball back for Howard, whose close-range strike was brilliantly kept out by Scott Hartley.

But it was Danby who final the final save of the contest when he palmed away a stinging Scott Maxfield effort.

Buxton: Hartley, Black, Williams, Horne, Wilde, Stevens, Maxfield, Towey, Ridley (Pemberton 79), Reed, Lugsden. Subs: Taylor, Liversidge, Ovington, Hopkins.

Booked: Wilde, Ridley, Lugsden, Maxfield.

Goal: Stevens 55.

Chester:  Danby, Baynes, Horan, Taylor, Brownhill, Booth (McGinn 57), Powell, Brown (Rainford 66), Howard, Wilde, McNeil (Simm 57). Subs: Ormrod, Judge.

Booked: Baynes, Powell, Wilde.

Goal: Powell 42.

Referee:  Marc Perry (Sutton Coldfield).

Attendance: 602.