CHESTER have reduced admission prices for Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash at home to Harrogate (3pm) in a bid to attract a bumper crowd to Hare Lane.
Entry is down from £8 to £5 for what is the biggest match of the National League Three North season so far.
Unbeaten Harrogate sit top of the standings on 48 points after winning their opening 10 games. But free-scoring Chester are just two points behind in second after a scintillating run of victories.
The winners of Saturday’s encounter will be favourites to go on and win automatic promotion to Two North, the fourth tier of English rugby.
But Chester head coach Nic Corrigan, whose side boast the best attacking and defensive records in the division, said: “We can’t get away from the fact it’s first versus second but we’ve got three league games after it – Bradford & Bingley away, Penrith at home, and West Hartlepool away – that are just as important.
“Saturday is the start of the four games that will define our season.”
Chester were without a match last weekend but an intense training session on Tuesday ‘blew off the cobwebs’, according to Corrigan.
The 29-year-old has maximum respect for Harrogate.
Corrigan said: “This is where the club wants to be. We want to be battling it out with sides like Harrogate, who are well established and with a really big history.
“They’re the leaders, we are respectful of them, but let’s see what happens. It should be a great game.”
Wesley Malton, a 24-year-old tighthead prop who has been playing in Australia, will make his debut for Chester.
Chester starting XV: John Shirley, Liam Gill, Wesley Moulton, Tom Gregory, Llion Jones, Mike Craven, Will Bown, Andy Moore, Will Goodwin, Rhys Hayes, Huw Grundy, Tom Foden, Pat Coy, Sean Green, Tom Evans.
