Chester FC 6 Trafford  0

It was an historic night for Chester Football Club and a bumper crowd were rewarded with a club record victory as the Blues hit Trafford for six.

Blues boss Neil Young stuck with the side that ended the game at Wakefield on Saturday and their slick football paid dividends with an emphatic victory at the newly named Exacta Stadium.

Chester were forced into absorbing a spell of early pressure from the visitors but it wasn’t long before Neil Young’s men began to stamp their authority on the game with an impressive first half display.

Good work by Iain Howard down the right flank brought the Trafford defence into action and in the 8th minute the live wire winger came inches away from breaking the deadlock with a powerful right footer that hit the side netting.

Chester continued to pressurise and the Blues carved out an opening midway through the first half after a wayward shot from Rob Hopley was scooped back in by Michael Wilde from the left corner. Bradley Barnes connected at the far post to slot the ball home from close range.

It didn’t take long before the blues doubled their lead. Wilde got his name on the scoresheet after heading the ball low, away from the despairing reaches of Trafford keeper Rooney, from a well taken Andy Burgess free-kick.

Five minutes later the Blues made it three with Trafford clearly struggling to defend from Chester’s set pieces. Burgess flighted in another fine free-kick from the right. Captain George Horan was on hand to slot the ball low across the face of goal and into the far corner.

Michael Wilde could have easily made it four just before the interval after he connected well with Hopley up front only for the former TNS striker to rasp a 25 yard pile driver just over the bar.

At half time, BBC Five Live’s Colin Murray introduced Chester fans to Pat Nevin & Perry Groves, who put pen to paper on the pitch and became the latest squad recruits – with a difference – in that Pat & Perry, former Premier League players, are not expected to take any part in any game this season, but their names will appear on the team sheet on the match day programme for the entire season, in a quirky sponsorship deal that sees the club net £2000 from the BBC presenter.

Back to the match, and Trafford improved after the break and tried to get back into it. The visitors pushed forward but Chester managed soaked up the Mancunians’ pressure with ease. Trafford’s best chance to pull one back came in the 65th minute when Paul Ashton completed a slick move by the visitors only to send his effort well wide of the left upright.

At the other end Chester cemented their lead with a fourth goal midway through the second half when Wilde latched onto a neat long ball from Greg Stones. Wilde literally sprinted around Morley before firmly firing the ball straight past Rooney.

The Blues could have extended their lead when Mark Peers linked up well with Nick Rogan inside the area. With the keeper beaten, Rogan struck a low goalbound effort only to see Bayunu clear drastically off the line.

With fourteen minutes remaining Wilde completed his hat-trick after latching onto a Peers header, the goal poacher controlled the ball before rocketing it through a crowded box and into the net. Amidst emphatic scenes, the rout continued as Trafford struggled to deal with Chester’s relentless pressure.

A sixth goal came when substitute Rogan layed off into the path Bradley Barnes who made no mistake, sending the ball home from an acute angle.
At the other end Trafford carved out a chance for a consolation but Richard Whiteside was alert to the danger, collecting the ball with ease.

In the dying stages Rogan forced Rooney into another save from a half volley, but that inspired Trafford to retaliate, and they did with Tom Bailey firing a thunderbolt just inches over Whiteside’s crossbar.

Chester FC: Whiteside, Stones, Williams, Horan, Ruffer, Graves, Barnes, Burgess (Peers), Hopley (Rogan), Wilde, Howard (Connolly) Unused substitutes: Sharrock, Field

Goalscorers: Barnes, Hopley, Wilde (3), Barnes

Trafford: Rooney, Harrop, Ashton, Bayunu, Lawton, Keddie, White (Marley), Shaw, Turner, Barlow, Krou (Bailey). Unused substitutes: Hargreaves, Woodford, Ratcliffe
Booked: Marley, Barlow
Referee: Mr O Yates (Staffordshire)
Assistant Referee: Mr M Barlow
Assistant Referee: Mr D Critchlow
Attendance: 2,734