THE Blues cruised through to the final of the Cheshire Senior Cup after an inspired second-half performance from strike-partners Marc Williams and Lee Trundle.

Williams opened the scoring before playing in Trundle to score a magnificent second.

The former £1m man then returned the favour for Williams to net his second of a freezing cold night and his ninth of the season.

Double-chasing Chester will face league rivals and last year’s runners-up Stalybridge Celtic in the final.

Before then the Blues have a title to win and Neil Young’s line-up suggested he had half an eye on Saturday’s league clash at home to Gloucester City.  

The Blue Square Bet North leaders made seven changes and lower-league Witton four.

Perhaps, then, it was unsurprising that both sides looked disjointed in a forgettable first half.

That said one of the players recalled by Chester boss Young, high profile signing Trundle, did have two golden opportunities to give the game the goal it desperately needed.

The first came after Williams and Matty McGinn combined to set him up.

Trundle could not get the ball from under his feet and his close-range shot was saved by Matthew Cooper.

Seconds later and the ex-Swansea City striker found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Again Cooper came out the winner.

That was it in terms of chances until the 25th minute when the ball broke to Danny Andrews in the box.

Witton’s Chester-born midfielder had space in which to shoot yet his side-footed effort was straight at Martin Fearon.

The match had a behind-closed-doors friendly feel to it and unfortunately for the 802 hardy souls in the crowd, all seated together in the one stand, matters did not look like improving after the break.

All that changed after Williams broke the deadlock in the 66th minute.

A clever reverse pass by captain George Horan – still upfield following a set-piece – found Williams unmarked in the area.

The former Wrexham forward did the rest, sending an accurate half-volley past Cooper and into the corner of the net.

Trundle should have doubled the advantage a minute later.

His first touch was exquisite, fooling the visiting defence, yet his second was wayward as he fired high and wide.

Trundle made amends in the 72nd minute – and how.

Williams rolled the ball into his path and Trundle, from just inside the box, looked up before lifting a nonchalant chip over Cooper, who will not have been beaten by many better goals this season.

Trundle, for whom it was his maiden strike for the club, was now very much in the mood and five minutes from time his lofted pass over the top of the defence sent Williams through.

The man of the match initially lost his footing. He composed himself, however, and slotted a left-footed finish past Cooper.

The Northern Premier League Premier Division promotion pushers, captained by former Chester midfielder Michael Powell, pushed for a consolation yet they were unable to beat Fearon.

Young said: “The first goal was a little bit of class from Marc, a great finish, and then Trunds produced a piece of magic.

“It took that to break them down because I thought they were well organised.

“I thought we were going long too quickly so we talked at half-time about being a little bit more patient, getting the balls into Lee’s and Marc’s bodies a bit earlier and getting the full-backs pushed on.

“It seemed to work and a little bit of magic was the difference.”

Chester: Fearon, L Turner, Collins, Horan, D Williams, Hankin (Jarman 70), Brown, A Williams, McGinn (Howard 77), Trundle (Peers 86), M Williams. Subs: Linwood, N Turner.

Booked: Horan.

Goals: M Williams 66, 85, Trundle 72.

Witton: Cooper, Gardner, Harrison, Horne, Glover, Powell, Hancock, Shaw, James (Foster 71), Andrews, Tuck. Subs: Wood, Sheehan, Mosley, Plant.

Booked: Andrews.

Attendance: 802.

Referee: Mark Duncan (Macclesfield).