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  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: The Deva Stadium
  • Attendance: 1759
  • Referee: Deadman, D

Live Commentary

90 mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

84 mins

Goal!! Darlington have scored with Steve Foster putting it in the back of the net.

80 mins

Darlington are replacing Neil Austin with Ryan Valentine.

75 mins

Paul Rutherford is booked for dissent.

69 mins

Chester are replacing John Danby with Phil Palethorpe.

68 mins

Pawel Abbott is replaced by Gregg Blundell.

65 mins

Ritchie Partridge is being taken off, Kevin Sandwith has come on in his place.

46 mins

Darlington are replacing Michael Cummins with Richie Foran.

46 mins

Chris Holroyd is being taken off, Paul McManus has come on in his place.

46 mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 2 v 0.

45 mins

Half time whistle is blown by D Deadman

43 mins

Steve Foster is booked for unsporting behaviour.

36 mins

Goal!! Chester have scored with Ritchie Partridge putting it in the back of the net.

21 mins

David Stockdale is booked for dissent.

6 mins

Goal!! Chester have scored with Paul Rutherford putting it in the back of the net.

0 mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Chester City picked up only their second victory of the year to seriously dent Darlington's promotion push.

The opener came in the sixth minute when the Darlo defence partially cleared from Kevin Roberts' cross and the ball fell to Paul Rutherford, whose sweetly struck shot from 12 yards out gave keeper David Stockdale no chance.

Within a minute the visitors had a great chance to pull level when Pawel Abbot was clean through on goal, but he was denied by John Danby who rushed out to smother his shot. Striker Tommy Wright headed over from the corner.

Chester doubled their advantage on 36 minutes through a superb effort by Richie Partridge. Chris Holroyd played an incisive pass from a tight spot in the corner to the overlapping Partridge, who took a touch before expertly curling the ball past the despairing dive of Stockdale.

Good work by sub Paul McManus, who crossed from the right, gave a decent shooting chance for Partridge, but he blazed over with his shot from the edge of the box. Rutherford also hit a half chance over the bar.

Goalkeeper Danby received lengthy treatment after appearing to be knocked unconscious after landing awkwardly and he was replaced a short while later on 70 minutes by Phil Palethorpe, despite his protestations that he was okay to remain in goal.

Darlington did have the ball in the net through Richie Foran who poked the ball home from close range on 72 minutes, but the assistant referee's flag came to Chester's aid by adjudging the substitute offside.

Twelve minutes from time Chester striker John Murphy had a chance to finally kill the game off, but scuffed his effort well wide off the target from 12 yards out. And Darlington pulled one back on 84 minutes when Steve Foster's shot from just inside the box went in off the post.

McManus struck the crossbar with a minute of normal time left and Chester had to hold out for a very nervous five minutes of extra time as they picked up a deserved victory.

Chester City Team

Darlington Team

Chester City

Darlington

Corners

3 4

Fouls

10 13

Goal attempts

10 7

Shots off target

4 6

Offsides

3 3

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