Pantomime villain Sean McConville took the star turn in an enthralling FA Cup classic that produced six goals and two red cards.

Chester were well in control with a two goal lead at the end of the first half after goals from McConville and Matty Hughes.

County stormed out of the traps in the second period and had cancelled out that lead within four minutes through Kristian Dennis and Scott Spencer.

McConville restored the lead with his second and Ben Heneghan headed home a fourth as the Blues wrestled back control.

Tempers flared late on with McConville again involved, copping a punch to the face that led to the aggressor Dennis and Michael Kay, who took the law into his own hands, being dismissed.

Steve Burr's side were in no mood to let the lead slip again and saw the game out to go into the hat for the first round draw on Monday.

Chester and the Hatters are old sparring partners having faced each other exactly 100 times in league and cup but this was the first game between the clubs since 2008.

County spent 106 years in the Football League before relegation in 2011 and continued troubles on and off the pitch meant the Hatters dropped event further in 2013.

For a club that had been in the second tier nine years ago and once put together a decent push for promotion to the Premier League, the fall from grace has been a short and painful one.

Stockport found the Conference North difficult last term but have equipped themselves better this time around and came into the tie in sixth place and on a run of one defeat in eight.

Alan Lord has built his side from the back with three central defenders and relies on the experienced Jamie Milligan to provide the ammunition for Kristian Dennis and Scott Spencer.

Lord made one change to the team that beat Leamington 2-0 last weekend, midfielder Richie Baker replacing on-loan Lee Stevenson, whose parent club Alfreton Town did not want him cup-tied.

Chester went into the tie in good form too having won five from eight and were confident of progressing without underestimating the challenge facing them.

Steve Burr managed to convince Fleetwood Town to allow Matty Hughes to play and that meant the Blues were unchanged from the 2-1 win over Alfreton Town.

Craig Hobson, Kieran Charnock and Sean McConville, sent off here last season for Stalybridge Celtic, all faced their former club.

Cup games tend to have a little more spice about them and sure enough the opening 10 minutes was full-blooded.

Hobson clashed with Danny Gregson in the corner and Hatters right back Matthew Todd came off worse after a tackle and had to be replaced with Glenn Belezika,

On 13 minutes the tie came alive with chances for both teams and a disallowed goal for the Blues inside 90 seconds.

Hobson steered Gareth Roberts' inviting cross on target but Danny Hurst made a comfortable catch and Jon Worsnop got down well at the other end to hold to Kristian Dennis' low shot from 25 yards.

Chester had the ball in the net when a ball over the top confused Gregson and he poked past Hurst but Hobson was offside when he pressured the defender.

Boos rang out each time McConville touched the ball but he found the perfect response with the opener on 20 minutes.

Craig Mahon seized on a loose ball in midfield, beat two men and slipped a pass into the path of McConville, who slid the ball underneath Hurst and celebrated his goal in front of the home end, earning him a booking.

Going in front gave the Blues greater confidence and there were two decent chances with Hurst clawing a cross from underneath the crossbar before he grasped Hobson's shot from outside the box.

Chester did get a second on 29 minutes and it came from Hughes, netting for the third time in four games.

Roberts nodded a header into the path of the on-loan forward and he burst into the box, skinned two defenders and drilled his shot past Hurst.

Stockport were being taken apart down the wings and Lord tried to switch things around but that left them outnumbered in the middle.

Chester moved the ball around with pace and with a little more care might well have been able to increase the lead.

County didn't have enough of the ball to pose serious problems and what possession the Hatters did have was well handled as the Blues went into the break with a two goal lead.

If the first half had been routine enough for Chester, the opening five minutes of the second was the polar opposite.

Stockport came out with real intent, with the help of some dreadful defending, pulled a goal back two minutes after the restart.

Nathan Woolfe, on for Baker in the break, split the defence with a simple pass and Dennis pounced, taking the ball under control and firing past the stranded Worsnop.

Things got worse on 49 minutes when County equalised, the ball sitting up invitingly for Spencer and he thumped a half volley over Worsnop from the corner of the area.

It was about as unexpected turnaround as you could imagine but it would have been even more ridiculous had Worsnop not tipped a Dennis shot onto the bar on 51 minutes

Stockport had taken the momentum and then some, and the Blues were rocked with the precision passing of the first half seeming a long time ago.

Chester needed someone to make something happen and Mahon answered the call on 64 minutes, turning Jordan Fagbola inside out and then cutting the ball into the six yard box for McConville to steer home his second.

County had to come from behind again to keep themselves in the competition but their task got much more sizeable on 71 minutes.

Worsnop caught a Milligan free kick and launched a counter that ended with the Hatters conceding a corner. McConville floated the ball to the near post and Ben Heneghan powered a header into the top corner to restore the two goal cushion.

Chester had now regained control with Mahon curling a shot inches past the post and Stockport grew frustrated as the game slipped away.

Stockport's frustration boiled over on 82 minutes when Dennis floored McConville off the ball and a heated confrontation between the teams ensued.

Referee Ross Joyce had no hesitation in showing Dennis a red card and then, after consulting his assistants, booked Belezika before sending off Michael Kay for his role in the aftermath.

County kept on coming and Worsnop produced an outstanding save to prevent Woolfe getting one back in time added on.

Chester might have been awarded a penalty with seconds remaining when sub Jamie Menagh went down under Hurst's challenge but Mr Joyce ruled he had dived and booked the winger.

Stockport ran out of gas and the Blues were able to relax in the closing moments and look forward to being ball number 59 in Monday;'s draw.

Chester FC: Worsnop, Heneghan, Kay, Charnock, G Roberts, Mahon, Rooney, James, McConville (Brown 86), Hughes (Menagh 80), Hobson.

Subs: C Roberts, Winn, Touray, Harrison, Hall.

Goals: McConville 20 and 64, Hughes 29, Heneghan 71.

Sent off: Kay.

Booked: McConville, Charnock.

Stockport County: Hurst, Todd (Belezika 10), Lees, Gregson, Fagbola, O'Halloran, Baker (Woolfe 46), Millingan, Churchman, Dennis, Spencer.

Subs: Moses, Ormson, Lofthouse, Lazenbury, Hanock.

Goals: Dennis 47, Spencer 49.

Sent off: Dennis.

Booked: Churchman, Belezika.

Referee: Ross Joyce (Cleveland)

Attendance: 4,621.