It Was A Wet One!

Chester Shade Monsoon Match Report courtesy of Steve Lee

Ashton United dropped their first points at home this season as Chester deservedly came away from a rain sodden Hurst Cross with a win thanks to two first half goals.
The game began in a monsoon type downpour and inside the first minute the visitors took advantage of a defensive slip, quite literally, as Chris Rimmer lost his footing which allowed Chris Simm to go clean through on goal and fire past Terry Smith from a narrow angle.
Ashton, with a three pronged attack responded with Aaron Burns providing a chance for Chris Amadi, whose shot lacked any power and was easily saved by John Danby.
The powerful Simm wasted a good chance to double the lead inside ten minutes but this time, the Ashton keeper was able to make the save when clean through on goal.
An end to end opening saw Peter Wright set up Amadi whose shot went straight at Danby and then former Ashton winger Iain Howard received a pass from Christian Smith, but his shot from an angle was held low down by Smith.
Ashton’s best chance of the half came when Burns produced a clever turn before offloading to Amadi, whose well struck shot was fisted away by Danby for a corner.
Chester looked dangerous on attack and Robert Booth shot wide whilst in acres of space and a free kick from Matty McGinn was tipped over the bar by Smith.
Burns tried his luck from outside the area to no avail before the newly promoted side took a grip on the game, first Matty McNeill’s pass gave Simm a chance to run into Ashton territory only to shoot over and then in their next attack Howard fell under the challenge of Ged Murphy just inside the area and Chester were awarded a soft penalty.
McGinn coolly sent Smith the wrong way to double the visitors advantage and Chester almost added a third on the stroke of half time but a right foot effort from Howard was saved by Smith.
Conditions worsened in the second half and Ashton struggled to get into the game with far too many mislaid passes that gifted possession to Chester.
Smith was at full stretch to deny Simm with a Sam Madeley style overhead kick as the visitors carried the greater goal threat, although Ashton’s best chance of the game came shortly after when Burns ran onto Alex Frost’s long ball before passing to Amadi, who looked odds on to score, only for his shot to be blocked by his team mate Wright.
Simm wasted a great chance to inflict more misery on the Robins with a header over from point blank range.
Chester’s defence was resolute and this was typified when Burns found space inside the area, but skipper George Horan came from nowhere to produce a goal saving tackle.
The final quarter of an hour was largely uneventful as Chester comfortably held onto what they had without threatening to add to their tally, a late Howard shot that was easily saved by Smith in injury time the only effort in anger as the game drew to its inevitable conclusion.

Ashton: T Smith, Harrop, J Rose (Dawson 58), Murphy (B Smith 67), Frost, Rimmer, Amadi, Bennett, Burns, Wright (Bathurst 79), Lambert. (subs not used) Madeley, Cahill.