CHESTER booked their place in the second round of the Evo-Stik League Challenge Cup after they came from behind to beat a Rushall side that finished an entertaining game with nine men.

Mitchell Tolley made amends for missing a first-half penalty as he fired the First Division South visitors into a 49th-minute lead. But after they had Decio Gomez sent-off with 18 minutes of normal time remaining, Neil Young’s men took over and first goals for the club from Kyle Wilson and Tom Field and an 11th in 11 games for Michael Wilde settled matters.

Showing nine changes to the side that won at Harrogate Railway Athletic on Saturday, it took the Blues time to find their feet.

It was not until the 19th minute that they had their first meaningful effort on goal, with Richie Foulkes – making his long-awaited debut in midfield – floating a shot that narrowly evaded makeshift centre-back Rob Hopley and sailed past the post.

Wilson had a better opportunity six minutes later, but he shot straight at Luke Cunningham from 10 yards out.

Not that it was one-way traffic. In-form Rushall were looking dangerous on the break, with the rapid Ahmed Obeng in particular causing consternation in the home defence.

And it was Obeng’s speed that won his team a 34th-minute spot-kick as the right-winger was scythed down in the box by Stuart Graves.

But after taking a fast bowler’s run-up, Tolley smashed his effort against the bar and away to safety.

Relieved by the let off and with the excellent Chris Williams offering real width down the left-wing, Chester upped the tempo and they should have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time. But in what his last action before going off with injury, home debutant Gareth Evans somehow managed to smash over from six yards out after Mark Peers’ corner dropped kindly to him.

And Evans and the hosts were made to pay as a combination of poor goalkeeping and defending allowed Tolley to hammer in Anthony Maguire’s corner from close range four minutes after the restart.

Despite the introduction of top-scorers Wilde and Bradley Barnes, it was a hammer blow the Blues were seemingly incapable of recovering from.

But they were given a way back into the game when centre-back Gomez picked up a needless second booking in the space of 11 minutes for a deliberate handball.

The equaliser followed in the 82nd minute as goalkeeper Chris Oldfield’s long kick was cleverly flicked on by Wilde into the path of strike-partner Wilson, who raced clear of the Rushall defence before slipping a shot under the advancing Cunningham on what was his first appearance at the Exacta Stadium.

It was now all-Chester, and only two top-quality saves from Cunningham prevented the dynamic Barnes from killing the contest in 90 minutes.

The increasingly-overworked keeper made an equally impressive stop from Wilde in the early stages of extra-time, but he could do little to keep out Field’s 98th-minute thunderbolt.

After the Blues were awarded a free kick on the angle of the area, Peers laid the ball back to the midfielder to cap an fine individual display with a rising right-footed 20-yard effort that flew into the top corner.

Any hope Rushall had of grabbing an equaliser were ended when Lucan Spittle was sent-off for a shin-high tackle on Wilson, with Wilde rubbing salt into the wounds with virtually the last kick of the match as he burst clear and kept his cool to finish.

Chester: Whiteside, Stones, Hopley, Evans (Aspin 46), Graves (Barnes 66), Peers, Foulkes (Wilde 56), Burgess, Field, Williams, Wilson. Subs: Howard, Jones.

Booked: Graves, Aspin, Peers.

Goals: Wilson 82, Field 98, Wilde 120.

Rushall: Cunningham, Tolley, Spittle, Gomez, Littler (Ashton 46), Obeng, O’Kelly, McNaught, Brady (Maguire 16), Fitzpatrick, Hepburn (Morris 59). Subs: Dacres, Melbourne.

Booked: Gomez, Ashton.

Sent-off: Gomez 72.

Goal: Tolley 49.

Referee: John Brooks.

Attendance: 966.