Gloucester City 0-1 Chester FC - Match Gloss

Chester returned to winning ways yesterday, as they recorded a one-nil victory against Gloucester City.

With Neil Young celebrating his 38th birthday, the team showed up at Whaddon Road in high spirits.  The Blues manager was showered with gifts on the coach down, whilst Ash Williams even brought a cake.

"The missus has been watching the Great British Bake Off, and got all inspired," explained Williams.  "Absolute result for me - every day is cake and fresh bread day.  Living the dream."

Instead of a pre-match teamtalk, Young's tactical speech was drowned out by a rousing chorus of the happy birthday song, though many players walked out in disgust when new boy Craig Curran attempted to follow this up with a round of "For he's a jolly good fellow", with senior players declaring this "too much" and accusing Curran of "ruining the whole thing for everybody".

"It's a tough dressing room to come into," muttered the Rochdale loanee.

The match was also Young's hundredth league game in charge of the Blues, and the manager celebrated the achievement with his coaching staff by embarking upon one of their famous touchline singalongs.

"The idea came to me five minutes in," enthused assistant manager Gary Jones.  "Do the ten green bottles song, but start at 100.  We were late into the changing room at half time because we were still finishing the shanty, like, but it was well worth it."

Meanwhile, popular journalist The Tall Peacock was sitting out his second match in succession as he remains close to home, awaiting the birth of The Short Peacock.  With usual deputy Sharks Prowling incapicated following an incident that left him transfixed by his own reflection, Seals Podcast inventorman Daniel Burns took over as the Chronicle's CFC correspondent.

"It seemed a logical choice.  We've enjoyed the work that Daniel has done as anonymous blogger The Jestrian, so we gave him the job," confirmed Chronicle editor Michael Green, who was also playing in goal and in defence for Gloucester.

Chester secured their win mid-way through the second half, as Wes Baynes produced a superb cross, which was turned in on the full by striker Nathan Jarman.

"Good goal, but I still think we need a thirty goal a season striker," grumbled one fan, in response to Jarman's ninth goal of the season, which is now 33% complete.