Match Report

Chester slipped dismally out of the Football League with a tepid home defeat to Darlington, which all but summed up a depressing campaign at the Deva Stadium.

With a goal difference that always looked like sending Chester spinning out of the division, even if Grimsby were to slip up at home to Macclesfield, Mark Wright's youthful side were finally put out of their misery by the Quakers.

The first half saw plenty of free-flowing football but precious little goalmouth action.

The visitors had the first attempt on goal in the seventh minute when the ball broke to Adam Griffin on the edge of the box but he blasted his shot straight at Chester keeper Jamie Spencer.

Chester's first chance came shortly before the half hour mark when top scorer Ryan Lowe broke through into the area and seemed certain to score but his weak shot ended up more like a back pass to Darlington keeper Przemyslaw Kazimierczak .

Into the second half and Darlington realised that Chester were there for the taking and applied the pressure, creating three great chances within 15 minutes of the restart.

Jason Kennedy should have opened the scoring five minutes into the second half when he put a free header over the bar from inside the six yard box after Spencer had completely missed the cross.

Kennedy went close again three minutes later with a deflected shot which drifted agonisingly wide with Spencer well beaten.

Striker Pawel Abbott then missed a glorious opportunity, putting his header over the bar from even closer.

Chester's best effort came on 66 minutes from Lloyd Ellams, his cross-shot going narrowly wide of Kazimierczak's far post.

Darlington's pressure finally told on 71 minutes when Abbott opened the scoring following an indirect free-kick, firing Ricky Ravenhill's short pass through a sea of bodies.

With 10 minutes remaining, Chester's Laurence Wilson tested Kazimierczak with a well struck 30-yard free kick which the 'keeper acrobatically turned over the bar.

There seemed very little hope for Chester until the 89th minute when Anthony Barry's well struck cross from the right was headed powerfully into his own net by Miller from close range.

Then, with virtually the final action of the game, Abbott controlled a pass from the right and drilled the ball beyond Spencer to secure the points for Darlington.

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides