Nuneaton Town 3 - 2 Chester

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

Nuneaton Town 3 Chester FC 2

NUNEATON got back to winning ways in impressive style this afternoon as they saw off in-form Chester at the James Parnell Stadium.

Boro boss Liam Daish made the brave decision before the game as he dropped skipper Gaz Dean and midfielder Adam Walker from his first team squad.

It looked like it could be a decision that backfired early doors.

Despite being under pressure for the first five minutes, it was the Boro who came closest to breaking the deadlock through Anton Brown.

Ben Starosta crossed the ball in and Brown received it with his back to goal, swivelling smartly before sending an overhead kick just wide of Jon Worsnop’s far post.

That chance breathed life into the home side as they started to enjoy the occasion. Loan signing Adam Dawson looked especially dangerous in an impressive 15 minute spell for the Boro.

They were rewarded for their positive approach in the 20th minute when James Armson volleyed home the opening goal of the game from inside the box. Dawson was again heavily involved as he pulled the ball back for Armson to slam home.

The Boro have looked vulnerable after conceding in recent matches, but it was their time to put the pressure on again after scoring now as Lee Fowler doubled the home sides’ lead just two minutes after Armson had struck.

Worsnop in the Chester goal should have done more, but the strike from Fowler was still a good one, the Nuneaton man smashing home a free-kick from the edge of the box in powerful fashion.

Chester came back into the game after the second goal, but new Boro keeper Christian Dibble was only forced into making one real save, rushing out, to deny Danny Harrison smartly with a save with his feet.

Chester boss Steve Burr would not have been happy with what he saw in the first half and he reacted, the visitors making a double substitution at half-time.

One of those changes, Craig Hobson took less than five minutes to make an impact, the frontman getting across the Boro defence to glance home a Rhys Oates cross from the left hand side.

Chester certainly came out fired up – and the goal only lifted their spirits – the Boro, though, did well to repel the visiting attacks.

Dibble was forced into action to deny a John Rooney free-kick, while Worsnop needed to be at his best at the other end to deny a Dawson effort from distance, both teams were using attack as the best form of defence.

The Boro keeper produced his best save 15 minutes before the end of the game, somehow reacting to deny Oates a leveller for the visitors. The full importance of that save was felt two minutes later as Dawson combined with fellow former Leicester man Marcel Barrington, as the latter tapped home from close range after some fine work by the former.

That goal looked like it was the final nail in the Chester coffin, but Burr’s side refused to throw in the towel and came back once again.

Hobson was the man who struck once again, the Chester man headed home from under the crossbar after a corner from the left hand side for the visitors.

Nuneaton hung on well after the goal, and could have even added another through Barrington again. A 3-2 win and a valuable three points was more than satisfactory, though...