North Ferriby United vs Chester FC - Match Grill

Chester overcame North Ferriby last night in a game so stop/start that its clutch wore out somewhere around the seventy minute mark.

Retracing their steps from the pre-Christmas FA Trophy trip to the outskirts of Hull, the Blues were looking to build on their 11-1 aggregate scoreline for the season against The Villagers, Neil Young rewarding Michael Wilde for his weekend red card with a return to the starting XI.

"I like to lead by example and Wildey was the only one who really turned up for me on Saturday", admitted the gaffer.

Chris Simm belatedly got involved in Sport Relief, making a valiant attempt to break the record for most offsides in a single game - an impossible ask, as any Chester fan who saw Michael Branch play can attest.

It was left to George Horan to draw first blood with a typically clambersome header, ticking North Ferriby off his list of 'Footballing Outposts to Score Midweek Goals At' in the process.  "One at Kendal next week and it'll have been a good season", enthused the skipper.

The second goal came courtesy of Michael Wilde, his second in as many games hopefully putting to bed the suggestion that he can't hack it at this level - an opinion put forward by Blues fans who like to think they have a unique insight into football but who, when pressed, probably couldn't even correctly identify a foul throw.

Late in the game, Chris Simm strayed onside to claim Chester's third and final goal, so blatantly stealing the credit off of Robbie Booth that he now faces 18 months in prison for theft.

It could have been more for the Blues.  Christian Smith netted his customary disallowed goal, whilst Wilde broke beyond the Ferriby defence only to see his progress thwarted by a ball that had been kicked back into the stadium from outside.

Manager Neil Young was incensed by the referee's handling of the latter situation, but showed that he had learnt his lesson from his dismissal on Saturday by entering the field of play to remonstrate angrily with the official.

Cooled down after the game, Young conceded that he had been quietly impressed by the tactical second-ball-on-the-pitch defence."

"Might use that one against Whitby actually - stick Robbie Booth on the car park with a bag full of 'em.  Give the lad something to do, won't it?", he winked.

The game finally threatened to get a bit tasty after the final whistle when a United player shoved Michael Powell, sparking interest in a potential brawl.  Powell instead laughed off the push, unwilling to test whether Ferriby's players are as skilled thespians as those at Northwich.

In other news, rumours spilled forth from The Shay that popular former Chester hot-shot Jamie Rainford stormed out after being left out of the Halifax squad to face Guiseley.

"It was a new tactic I was trying," explained Shaymen boss Neil Aspin.  "I noticed that Chester are unbeaten this season in league games where Jamie hasn't been involved, so I thought I'd get in on some of that action."

The victory leaves Chester 11 points clear at the top of the table, but despite their team having made it six wins in a row, Chester fans will continue to try and calculate the bare minimum which their team need to do to secure promotion.