It's 11 years since goal-crazy Chester City ushered in 2004 with a spectacular performance that capped a stunning festive period for the Blues.
The 6-2 New Year's Day victory over a hapless Leigh RMI side meant City had hit 16 goals in three matches – the first time a Chester team had scored five goals or more in three successive games since 1933 – and Daryl Clare’s hat-trick was the third individual treble in a row, including his second.
The success followed on from back-to-back 5-1 and 5-0 victories, against Tamworth and Leigh respectively, as Chester swept aside all comers in a season to remember for Blues fans.
Hilton Park’s highest Conference crowd of 2,002 – mostly from Chester – witnessed an extraordinary second half in which Chester went into cruise-control following their third goal in less than a minute of the start of the half. But two Leigh replies in six minutes had the visitors suddenly battling to hold on to three points.
It should never have been that close as City missed a hatful of clear-cut chances, but they responded to the alarm call like potential champions by adding three more goals, including two in added time.
Leigh must have been as surprised as Chester when they found themselves so close to grabbing an unlikely point, for they had looked down and out when City’s third goal went in.
Said Chester boss Mark Wright: "We should have had double-figures. I thought six goals flattered Leigh. We were walking the game and we made two substitutions because Scott Guyett has a bit of a knee problem and Kevin McIntyre is suspended for the next two games, but if we had left it as it was Leigh wouldn’t have scored in a month of Sundays."
Clare was the hat-trick hero, but he would have been the first to admit he should have had even more, while Darryn Stamp, who added another brace to his tally, was also guilty of missing gilt-edged chances.
Clare’s goals came after 33, 88 and 90 minutes and he could even afford the luxury of having a penalty saved before he had scored. Stamp added two in the 43rd and 46th minutes and Alex Smith hit a glorious free-kick from 30 yards in added time which David Beckham in his pomp would have been proud of.
Chester: McCaldon, Collins, McIntyre (Twiss 71), Carden, Smith, Clare, Regan, Carey, Ruffer, Guyett (Bolland 64), Stamp. Subs: Harris, Rapley, Davies.
Leigh RMI: Martin, Harrison, Lancaster, Redmond (Whitehead 76), Shepherd, Maden (Peyton 25), Rezai (Harris 65), Rickers, Roscoe, McNiven, Daniel. Subs: Barraclough, Tickle.
Referee: Mr J Tattan, Liverpool
