Chester FC 3 Barrow 2
Chester FC boss Marcus Bignot couldn't hide his delight at his teams last-gasp 3-2 win over Barrow last night - but he admits there are lessons still to be learned.
Lucas Dawson drove home a 94th-minute winner to seal a vital three points for Chester to lift them out of the National League relegation zone.
But they had to do it the hard way after relinquishing a 2-0 lead in first half added time.
Debutant Jordan Archer opened the scoring for the hosts on 11 minutes before Reece Hall-Johnson fired home on 25 minutes as Chester bossed the opening half.
But a disastrous spell in the two minutes added on at the end of the first half Adi Yussuf and Byron Harrison levelled matters at the break to stun the home fans.
But Chester rallied and got their just reward deep in stoppage time when Dawson fired home from the edge of the area through a sea of bodies to spark joyous scenes.
"I really did enjoy it," said Bignot.
"First half I thought we were superb and worthy of a 2-0 lead, but obviously we will learn about the management of games. But the second half was all about character and then to create the chances we did so late on I don't think anyone could argue we weren't deserving of the three points.
"I thought it was really important we focused on the 44 minutes up to those goals and we made sure they stayed focused on that and we told them how well they did do. It wasn't as fluid second half as it was first half but look at the chances we created, it showed another side to us.
"There will be loads of lessons to learn but overall I'm absolutely delighted."
It was Bignot's fifth league game at the helm and his side picked up their seventh point of his tenure, enough to lift them out of the bottom four. It was the first milestone ticked off for the Chester boss.
"When we came in it was about the here and now and getting results and we looked at the first five games and wanted to be out of the bottom four, and we have achieved that," he said.
"A performance like tonight, a result like tonight and the manner in which we got it can only put us in good stead, and we will learn from other parts of the game."
And Bignot was pleased with the performances of his two new signings on their debut as both Archer and Jordan Gough impressed while Hall-Johnson had another fine game at right back.
"I have been delighted with the players we have been able to bring in and really grateful of all the clubs we have dealt with, they have been really good and I'm delighted the club have allowed us to do that," he said.
"They are adding to a group which has got a lot of talent but it needed bodies in certain areas and it will only improve the squad. I felt that our bench tonight was the strongest it has been. It shows how we are evolving and this group is getting stronger and better."
