THE MATCH
This wasn't the way that Chester FC wanted to start 2017.
They were second best for 75 minutes of this contest with a lowly Solihull Moors side as goals from Jamey Osborne, Liam Daly and a Harry White penalty eased the Midlanders to a deserved three points on a New Year's Day to forget for Blues fans.
Blues boss Jon McCarthy was forced into one change, with Johnny Hunt sitting out the first of his three-game suspension following his red card in the 3-2 loss at Solihull on Boxing Day.
Kane Richards was handed a start on the right with Evan Horwood filling in at left back having been played wide on the left in recent weeks.
Ryan Lloyd played the final game of his loan spell from Port Vale amid rumours of other National League clubs interested in securing his services on a permanent basis, although the Blues remain hopeful of keeping him at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium.
Chester had chances early to break the deadlock with Jordan Chapell firing at Danny Lewis inside 20 seconds before Sam Hughes saw a header hit the bar on six minutes after a pin-point Elliott Durrell cross from the right.
But, against the run of play, it was the visitors who drew first blood on 17 minutes when Omari Sterling-James' free-kick was headed against the post by Liam Daly but Osborne was on hand to sweep home the rebound from 10 yards through a crowd of bodies.
The goal sparked life into the Midlands side and they began to dominate proceedings, with the dangerous Sterling-James forcing a superb one-handed stop from Alex Lynch in the Chester goal from 20 yards while Harry White fired just wide from the same distance with a low effort.
The Blues almost pulled one back before the break when Horwood saw a 18-yard free kick clawed away at the near post by Lewis but the visitors held on to the break.
Theo Vassell replaced an injured Horwood at the interval, making his first appearance since the end of October, but Chester failed to emerge with any fire in the second period.
And it was 2-0 on 52 minutes when Lynch made a has of coming for Sterling-James' inswinging free-kick and Daly was on hand to volley home with aplomb into an empty net.
Moors almost added to their lead on 57 minutes after when Daly met a Sterling-James corner, which came after a great save from Lynch from White, crashing a header against the bar before Ryan Astles hacked clear.
The Blues did go close shortly after when Vassell and Richards had a neat interchange with the latter firing wide from an acute angle from eight yards.
Chester huffed and puffed but never looked like finding a route back into the game.
And their race was all but ran when Luke George was deemed to have handled a Shepherd Murombedzi effort on 78 minutes by referee Peter Wright, who made a string of poor decisions.
White stepped up confidently to dispatch the penalty high into the net off the underside of the crossbar to compound the home fans' misery.
VERDICT
This was probably the worst performance of the season for McCarthy's Blues. It was truly abysmal.
The shape and structure that has been the cornerstone of the club's superb run this season was nowhere to be seen today as they laboured against a Solihull Moors side whose main aim is to avoid the drop this season.
It may turn out to be just a bump in the road but there were some worrying times, with the Blues looking like a threadbare side left jaded after running on fumes for so long.
It will be interesting to see how McCarthy lifts his troops after this. He has done it before this season but now he must repeat the feat again if the Blues are to stay on course for a top-half finish.
STAR MAN
Err...Probably Tom Shaw if I had to give an answer. Chester's best player but that isn't saying much.
MATCH FILE
Chester: Lynch, Astles, Hughes, George, Horwood (Vassell 46), Chapell, Lloyd, Durrell, Shaw, Richards, Alabi. Subs: Roberts, Waters, Joyce, Hudson.
Bookings: Horwood, Shaw
Goals:
Solihull Moors: Lewis, Murombedzi, Daly, Kettle, Flanagan, Byrne (Obeng 68), White (Asante 82), Osborne, Sterling-James (Mwanyongo 86), Carline, Nortey. Subs: Fagbola, Vaughan.
Bookings: Carline
Goals: Osborne 17, Daly 52, White 78 (pen)
Attendance: 2,244
Referee: Peter Wright (Lancashire).
