THE Blues remain three points clear at the summit after a tempestuous Boxing Day derby featuring three red cards ended in a draw.

Neil Young’s table-toppers took a 13th-minute lead through Wes Baynes after Northwich goalkeeper Ben Hinchcliffe was sent off. Andy Preece’s second-placed side did not have a back-up keeper on the bench but after Michael Powell was dismissed to even up the numbers, they grabbed the point they deserved when substitute Ryan Wade struck in the 78th minute.

From a seemingly unassailable position, Chester were forced to hold on in the dying stages after Baynes became their second player to receive his marching orders.

Blues boss Young had no complaints over the decision to send Baynes off. He was absolutely furious, however, by the nature of his captain’s dismissal in the 38th minute.

Powell raised his hands to Vics right-back John Disney but looked to have escaped punishment until the linesman on the opposite side of the pitch intervened.

Young said: “I’ve just seen the most bizarre refereeing incident in all my time watching football. How can a linesman 90 yards away make a decision like that? The linesman on that side of the field and the referee were not giving anything but he said he’s seen something.

“If the linesman on that side of the pitch had seen it, I would have accepted it. But for the other linesman to call the referee over and give a decision from the other side of the pitch is unbelievable.”

The eagerly anticipated clash, watched by a near capacity crowd at a windy Victoria Stadium, failed to live up to its billing in terms of a spectacle – but it certainly made up for it for sheer drama.

Hinchcliffe was the first player to see red in the 11th minute. The Northwich number one raced out of his area to deal with a raking pass over the top from Antoni Sarcevic but totally misjudged the bounce of the ball and handled outside of his area.

Left-back Lewis Short was forced to take over in goal and his first action was to pick the ball out of the net after Baynes’ 18-yard free kick squirmed underneath his body.

Short recovered well to save from Iain Howard and the recalled Sarcevic before Baynes produced a goal-line clearance to prevent Nathan Woolfe from equalising.

At this stage Chester were in complete control of the contest. They lost their attacking impetus, though, after Powell was sent to the stands for an off-the-ball altercation with Disney.

The hosts made one change at the break as midfielder Michael Roddy became their third player to don the goalkeeper jersey as he took over between the posts from Short.

Disappointingly Roddy was not tested until the 68th minute when he turned a Howard effort around the post.

Ten minutes later and Northwich were level as super sub Wade scored with virtually his first touch.

A prodigious long thrown from Short was never truly cleared and the former Skelmersdale United striker fired home from close range to restore parity with 12 minutes to play.

The Blues, chasing their seventh straight win in all competitions, nearly went back in front in the 80th minute when Roddy turned a cross from Baynes on to his own bar.

Baynes was red-carded two minutes later for a two-footed lunge on Short but the nine-man visitors nearly won it when man-of-the-match Christian Smith just failed to get a touch to an inswinging Howard corner.

Northwich: Hinchcliffe, Disney (Wade 76), Collins, Kearney, Short, Johnson, Field, Armstrong, Woolfe, Riley (Roddy 46), Budrys. Subs: Fitzpatrick, Smyth, Clarke.

Booked: Kearney, Disney.

Sent off: Hinchcliffe 11.

Goal: Wade 78.

Chester:  Danby, Baynes, Smith, Taylor, Brownhill, Sarcevic, Brown, Powell, Howard, McNeil, Wilde (Simm 60 (Booth 85)). Subs: Duggan, Wright, Holden.

Booked: Brownhill, Wilde.

Sent off: Powell 37, Baynes 83.

Goal: Baynes 13.

Referee: David O’Rourke (Liverpool).

Attendance: 2,864.