Chester City Youth 0
Wrexham Youth 0
Football League Youth Alliance (North West Conference)

Match Report

Three days after the reserves' goalless draw at the Deva Stadium many of the same players once again found themselves in opposition again in a Puma Youth Alliance fixture. And, just like in the earlier clash at the Deva, the game proved to be a tight affair with little to choose between the two sides. Thus, almost inevitably, the game again ended goalless.

“It was pretty similar to the reserve game – though maybe not as open,” said Steve Cooper after the game. “Chester played a really narrow system with four players in central midfield because of injuries they’d picked up in the reserve game so we couldn’t play through them as we’d like to do. It was too packed in the middle of the field. As such it was a quiet game with no real chances – though Chester probably just had the better of the play.”

The best chance of the game fell the Dragons’ way in the second half when following a scramble in the Chester penalty area the ball broke to Mark Stewart but it came to him very quickly and so he snatched at the ball and it was easily saved by the keeper. There was also a coupe of free kicks from Matty Hurdman after the break, one of which looked like it was going in but drifted just wide to the keeper’s right, but generally there was little of note in the game worthy of including in a report.

“The injuries we picked up in the game didn’t help,” revealed Steve. “We couldn’t make any tactical substitutions. And Tom Bainbridge has a big lump on his head after a clash of heads. Most players would have come off but he carried on and did well. The back four defended really well – Chris Marriott and Lee Jones were outstanding again. That’s only two goals conceded now, so that’s a real positive. It was a drab game that never got going, and their formation meant that we never got enough of the ball.”