CHESTER got their preparations for the season off to a good start with a hard-fought triumph against Llanharan on Saturday.

In the first of three warm-up games, the Hare Lane outfit overcame a late scare to secure a 27-26 win.

Chester head coach Steve Donovan said: 'We are very happy - not just with the result but also with the way we played. The new influx of players combined and gelled into a team.

'Every player, and we had more than 30 players there, got some game time so are all part of this great start.

'There is a very long way to go but the coaches not only have plenty to work on but also have plenty of selection headaches to come.'

In a match consisting of four 20-minute periods, Chester had romped into a 22-5 lead by the end of the third.

However, the visitors fought back strongly and after three quick-fire tries they found themselves 26-22 ahead.

Chester continued to battle and, with time running out, they snatched a confidence-boosting victory courtesy of a Gareth Sanger try.