CITY’S young guns turned in a brave display at the Deva Stadium tonight but it was not enough to keep them in the FA Youth Cup.

Leeds booked their spot in round two with a confident and composed performance, netting a goal in each half.

The opening exchanges were tight, with neither keeper tested as both sides battled in midfield for superiority.

It took Chester 20 minutes to engineer their first meaningful shot. The impressive Ryan Williams turned Frazer Ablett’s pass into the path of James Owen, who dragged a low effort just wide of the post.

Six minutes later, Ablett flashed a left-footed volley wide from Ben Jones’ right-wing cross.

Leeds broke the deadlock on 31 minutes following a mistake by the City defence. Keeper Simon Williams raced to the edge of the box and spilled a back-header from Kristian Platt, who had no idea Williams was so far off his line. United’s Aidan White picked up the loose ball and kept his cool to fire into the net under pressure from retreating defenders.

Chester came close to levelling the scores a minute before half time. Williams’ curling cross from the right found its way to the far post, where Ablett met the ball with a low volley which Leeds keeper Alex Cairns held at the second attempt.

Chester kicked off the second half as they had finished the first – by almost making it 1-1.

On 53 minutes, striker Lloyd Ellams sent a spectacular 25-yard shot arching towards the top corner, but Cairns clawed the ball away with his fingertips.

Two minutes later, Williams in City’s goal had to move smartly off his line to block at the feet of United’s Luke Garbutt.

Chester had the greater share of possession during the second period, but Leeds put the game to bed with a 74th-minute strike. Joe McCann got the goal, racing onto a ball over the top of Chester’s defence and coolly lobbing Williams from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

Chester: S Williams, Dowling, Newman, Rawlinson, Platt, Owen, Smith, R Williams, Ellams (Davidson 76), Jones (Evans 76), Ablett. Subs: Rea, Coulter, Freeman.

Leeds: Cairns, Darville, Garbutt, Lees (Williams 89), Watson, Milne, Whitwell, McCann (Baxendale 76), Elliott, Jones, White. Subs: Booth, Jerome, Birbeck.

Referee: M Pope.