Derby honours belong to Wrexham

Chester City v Wrexham

Wrexham were handed a relegation lifeline with a valuable three points in this lunch time derby at the Deva Stadium as City, who have not won at home since before Christmas, saw their ailing home form continued.

Chester City caretaker manager Simon Davies made just one change to his side following the midweek defeat at Darlington. Midfielder Mark Hughes returned to the side in place of youngster Paul Rutherford.

The Blues got off to a rousing start and with just seconds on the clock young Chris Holroyd could have opened the scoring when he tried to curl a left footed from around 18 yards out only to a Gavin Ward tip the effort around his right post. City couldn’t make anything of the resultant corner as both sides attempted to stamp their authority on this game.

Wrexham were restricted to long range efforts and in the ninth minute Simon Spender sent a speculative ball well over the cross bar from around 30 yards out. In the eighteenth minute Wrexham won a dangerous free kick just outside the area and John Danby had to be sharp to block a stinging Michael Proctor effort.

Chester City had the ball in the back of the net in the 20th minute but referee Andy Durso adjudged Murphy had committed a foul. Almost immediately Wrexham took the ball to the other end of the field and Michael Proctor was quick to lay the ball off the Paul Hall who made no mistake, opening the scoring with a right footed drive past the despairing reaches of City shot stopper John Danby.

City went in search of an equaliser but former City keeper Gavin Ward pulled off a wonderful save blocking a powerful Kevin Ellison drive in 28th minute. For the next fifteen minutes or so both sides cancelled each other out and chances were at a premium, the ball falling to goalscorer Paul Hall who sailed a right wing effort high and wide.

Playing in front of their own fans in the second half, City took a while to get going. Ellison latched onto a through ball from Wilson before rasping a drive wide of the far post in the 55th minute. Moments later Gavin Ward pulled off a stunning save to deny a Chris Holroyd pile driver as City went in search of an equaliser. Ward was in the thick of the action again when in the 62nd minute he denied Ellison with a point blank save.

Just seconds later City had the ball in the back of the net when Chris Holroyd side-footed home but the referee ruled the goal to be offside. Then, disaster struck for City at the other end when, totally against the run of play, Wrexham counter attacked and doubled their advantage when Carl Tremarco layed off for Proctor who flighted a sweet ball over Danby and into the top right corner.

It just wasn’t Chester’s day. Try as they might City struggled to get past Gavin Ward who was on top form in the Wrexham goal. The former City keeper saved yet another Ellison drive in the 69th minute.

Chester City: Danby, Vaughan, Roberts, Linwood, Wilson (Rutherford 62), Holroyd (McManus 77), Dinning, Hughes, Sandwith, Murphy, Ellison.

Unused substitutes: Palethorpe, Kelly, Rule.

Wrexham: Ward, Bolland, Hope, Mike Williams, Spender, Whitley, Hall (Nicholson 72), Llewellyn, Tremarco, Broughton (Duffy 80), Proctor (Aiston 85).

Unused substitutes: Anthony Williams, Spann.