League leaders Chester FC retained their grip at the top of the table with a fine performance against 10-man Wakefield at a wind-swept Exacta Stadium in what was the Blues first home League win in January since 2002.

Blues boss Neil Young has made two changes to the side that drew 2-2 against AFC Fylde in midweek. Kyle Wilson and Ashley Williams came into the starting eleven at the expense of Tom Field and Robbie Booth.
It took both sides a while to get to grips with the swirling winds around the Exacta Stadium with an end to end opening to the game.

The visitors had the better of the exchanges causing the Blues plenty of trouble with Tom Denton and Danny South the main protagonists. Then, the game changed in the thirteenth minute when the visitors were reduced down to ten minutes after Denton was given his marching orders with a straight red card after taking a swipe at Blues captain George Horan.

This spurred the Blues on as confidence grew amongst Neil Young’s ranks with Iain Howard and Chris Williams combining well down the left flank with a number of great balls into the area. The Blues had the ball in the back of the net on 20 when Michael Wilde forced Wakefield goalkeeper Jan Zolna to parry the ball into the path of James McCarthy. McCarthy side footed the ball home only for the linesman to flag for offside.

McCarthy despatched a 20 yarder wide of the post before forcing a save out of the Wakefield keeper moments later. At the other end the Chester onslaught was broken up when Wilde was forced to clear off the goal line after the visitors broke through a sleepy Blues defence with a rare counter attack by Stansfield.

The Blues continued to push forward and the pressure eventually paid off when they took the lead in second minute of first half added time when Bradley Barnes flicked on a Kyle Wilson left footer into the far corner of the Wakefield goal.

Five minutes after the interval Wilson and McCarthy combined well to force a save from the Wakefield keeper. Howard fired a shot across the face of goal before Wilde bagged his 19th league goal of the season in the 58th minute when Chester’s leading goalscorer headed home from a Wilson corner.

Wilde headed agonisingly wide of the left post from a great Howard through ball but with twelve minutes remaining, the Blues extended their lead when another inch perfect Howard cross found Robbie Booth who powered home the header.

Bradley Kane bagged a late consolation for the visitors after he breached a sleepy Chester defence.

Chester FC: Whiteside, Aspin, Williams (Beck), Horan, Ruffer, McCarthy (Booth 63), Barnes, Williams, Wilson, Wilde (Metcalf 83), Howard.

Substitutes not used: Taylor, Stones.

Goalscorers: Bradley Barnes (45+2), Michael Wilde (58), Robbie Booth (79)

Booked: Horan

Wakefield: Zolna, Nicholson, Tonks, Roberts, Milnes, Stansfield, McGuire, Jones (Woodhead 84), South (Kane 58), Denton, Hunter (Brooke 64).

Substitutes not used: Glavin.

Goalscorers: Bradley Kane (91)

Sent off: Tom Denton

Attendance: 2,280

Referee: Mr Paul Marsden, Lancashire

Chester FC Man of the Match: Ashley Williams

Wakefield Man of the Match: Adam Jones