All good things must come to an end and nobody expected Chester FC to remain unbeaten forever, but a crushing defeat in Surrey against an impressive Woking side was a bitter pill to swallow.

Optimistic before kick off, Ben Heneghan's sending off for a lunge on Dan Holman when the last man was to set the tone for the afternoon. John Goddard despatched the penalty and the dread began to seep in for the travelling faithful.

A goal less than 60 seconds after the restart from Holman and a superb Kadell Daniel free-kick on 53 minutes put the Cards firmly in the driving seat at the Laithwaite Community Stadium before substitute Michael Kay's header from a corner on 65 minutes, the club's 500th goal in all competitions since reforming, brought some cheer.

Joey Jones ended any hopes of a fightback when hie fired home from 15 yards on 76 minutes after some slack marking before John Rooney hit a stunning 25-yard free kick on 90 minutes but substitute Ben Pattie's cool finish two minutes into added time compounded the Blues misery.

But the opening 15 minutes would have never have suggested such a goal-fest.

Holman's snapshot after two minutes which went narrowly wide was the only action of note in the opening 15 minutes with both sides taking a while to get into their stride.

Woking, however, were looking dangerous going forward through the excellent Kadell Daniel on the right-hand side and the dangerous Holman through the centre. But John Rooney came close to testing Cards keeper Jake Cole on 16 minutes when his 25-yard free kick flashed narrowly past the left-hand upright of the Woking custodian's goal.

Chester FC boss Steve Burr
Chester FC boss Steve Burr

Chester were dealt a blow a minute later when Ross Hannah, who opened his Blues account in the midweek draw with Cheltenham Town, picked up a knock and was replaced by winger Craig Mahon.

But Garry Hill's Woking found themselves a goal to the good on 25 minutes when a long ball forward from Cards defender Brian Saah sent Holman clear on goal and, with Heneghan and Ian Sharps trailing in his wake, looked certain to fire beyond Jon Worsnop until Heneghan's leggy lunge sent the ex-Braintree and Wrexham striker sprawling, leaving referee Mark Pottage with option but to send give the Blues defender his marching orders. John Goddard did the rest, sending Worsnop the wrong way to hand the hosts the lead.

With a numerical advantage, Woking continued to press and almost made it 2-0 following a delightful passage of play between Holman and Daniel, with the former pirouetting his way through the Blues back line, where midfielder Luke George was now occupying Heneghan's place, before freeing Daniel who skipped past Johnny Hunt and flashed a shot across the face of the Blues goal.

Chester had a penalty appeal of their own when Hobson appeared to be felled in the area by Ricketts, but Mr Pottage was having none of it. Indeed Hobson had the chance to level on 34 minutes, latching on from a long ball forward from Rooney, finding himself in acres of space, one on one, when even he appeared to think he was offside. But Hobson was quickly closed down by Cole who managed to block the big strikers effort.

Daniel, Holman and Keiran Murtagh all went close for the Cards before the break but the Chester rearguard stood firm.

But any hope that the Blues would come out on the front foot and take the game to the hosts in a bid to maintain their unbeaten start was quickly extinguished when the visitors defence allowed Holman too much space, with the dangerous front man turning his man before shooting hard and low past a despairing Worsnop.

And it was to go from bad to worse for Steve Burr's men. A free-kick given up on the right hand side by Hunt was punished by Daniel, who superbly bent his effort up and over the Blues wall and into the back of the net via a deflection off the post.

Substitute Michael Kay did reduce the arrears on 65 minutes to offer up some kind of hope to the travelling Blues faithful, heading a short corner from Rooney past Cole in the Woking goal. It was a goal that had some significance for Chester, with Kay's header the 500 goal scored by the club in all competitions since being reborn in 2010.

But any hopes of a fightback from the tiring Blues was quashed 11 minutes later when the Blues defence, so watertight in the opening four games, allowed midfielder Jones plenty of time to set himself 15 minutes from goal before shooting past Worsnop, much to the anger of Chester boss Burr, dismayed at his sides' slack marking.

Chester, to their credit, didn't throw in the towel and pulled one back on 90 minutes when Rooney despatched a stunning 25-yard free-kick which fizzed into the top corner of Cole's goal.

But substitute Pattie compounded Chester's misery two minutes into added time, breaking the offside trap before coolly slotting past Worsnop.

Talking points

The unbeaten run is over: All good things come to an end but the manner of this defeat will stick in the craw of Chester fans. The warning signs that it might not be the Blues' day were there as early as the 17 minute when Hannah was forced off with an injury. And when Heneghan was dismissed eight minutes later the writing appeared on the wall. But it was going to happen at some point,and now it has. Blues boss Burr will have learned much from this disappointment and, hopefully, the squad will respond in the correct manner.

Big Ben's sending off provides Michael Kay with a chance: Heneghan's sending off crippled the Blues so early on. Luke George took up the mantle for the remainder of the first half at centre back but Kay was afforded his chance to stake a claim after being introduced in the second half. He did make an impression, finding the net for the Blues in the 65 minute but he didn't have the connection with Sharps that Heneghan has. Nevertheless he did okay and will no doubt be keen to seize his chance in the absence of Heneghan.

500 goals in all competitions since 2010: It may have been overshadowed with the Blues having lost the game but it was a feat that should be marked. The fact that the 500 goal was scored on a glorious Saturday afternoon for a Blues side who are in the top-half of the National League five years on from their being reborn from Chester City's ashes should be celebrated. To all the Chester FC goalscorers since 2010, from Rob Hopley to Michael Kay, we salute you!

Match facts

Woking: Cole, Caprice, Arthur, Ricketts (Poku 78), Saah, Yakubu, Jones, Murtagh, Goddard (Andrade 56), Daniel (Pattie 78), Holman.

Subs: Newton, Hamman.

Goals: Goddard 25 (pen), Holman 46, Daniel 53, Jones 76, Pattie 90.

Booked: Murtagh.

Chester FC: Worsnop, Higgins, Hunt, Heneghan, Sharps, George, Chapell (Tonge 52), Rooney, Shaw (Kay 52), Hobson, Hannah (Mahon 17).

Subs: Forth, Thomson.

Goals: Kay 65, Rooney 90.

Sent off: Heneghan.

Referee: Mark Pottage (Dorset).

Attendance: 1,503.

Star man: John Rooney.

Verdict

A sobering result that even the most pessimistic of Blues fans would not have forseen. The Blues battled after going a man down but it was always going to be a struggle. Defensively they looked like a different side without Heneghan but it was just one of those days. Chester came up against a Woking side full of flair and endeavour but the result was a harsh one to be fair. But these things happen, it will be interesting to see how Burr gets his troops to respond.