JIM Harvey praised his battling Blues despite seeing them slip to their fourth Blue Square Premier reverse on the run last night.
Goals either side of the break from Yemi Odubade and Mark Roberts ensured second-placed Stevenage kept the pressure on table-topping Oxford United, but Harvey could take pride from the way rock-bottom City gave their high-flying opponents a run for their money.
The Chester manager said: “I thought the boys were excellent and I think they provided their most disciplined performance since I have been here.
“The scoreline doesn’t reflect the game and, barring their two goals, I don’t think they had another shot and I don’t think our keeper had a save to make.”
The outcome might have been different had the recalled Shaun Kelly’s 17th-minute header hit the post and gone in rather than being cleared to safety.
The Blues, who lost Rhys Meynell to injury in the pre-match warm-up and Adam Kay during the game, finished the match with 10 men after Kevin Roberts left the field with blood streaming from a head wound from an alleged head butt which went unpunished and left Harvey furious.
STEVENAGE: Day, Henry, Roberts, Bostwick, Laird, Drury, Murphy (Bridges 53), Byrom, Beardsley, Boylan (Ashton 46), Odubade (Cole 84). Subs: Bayes, Griffin.
BOOKED: Murphy, Bridges.
GOALS: Odubade 42, Roberts 66.
CHESTER: Danby, Rule, Kelly, Ryan, Roberts, Owen (Wilkinson 74), Kay (Blundell 41), Keltie, Barry, Beesley, Chadwick (Ellams 75). Subs: Murphy, Meynell.
BOOKED: Kelly.
REFEREE: Simon Long (Suffolk).
ATTENDANCE: 1,487 (54 away).
