Blues Match Preview: Chester FC v Hednesford Town

Saturday, 31 October 2026 at 11:27

Chester FC will be looking to build on a 2-1 midweek win against Marine this afternoon, as they host Hednesford Town in their second home outing in quick succession.

Phil Parkinson will hope his side can continue their fine form at the Deva Community Stadium where they have a chance to win their fourth home game on the bounce in the National League North.

This fixture marks the end of an intense period for the Blues, who have a week away from NLN action after playing four matches in the last 12 days.

Opposition

After back-to-back promotions through the play-offs, Hednesford initially struggled in step two, but after an impressive month they find themselves firmly back in the hunt for promotion.

The Pitmen had a hard time adapting to the new division at first; following a huge squad overhaul that included 18 arrivals, they took just two wins from their opening eight outings.

It finally clicked for Kelvin Davis’ side when they won four games on the bounce at the start of the month, which lifted them into 8th place just one point outside the play-offs.

Their impressive spell peaked when they ended league leaders Hereford’s nine-match unbeaten run, thanks to Aaron Jarvis’ emphatic strike, which was enough to secure a 1-0 victory.

Despite this, their most recent outing against Bedford Town ended in disappointment. In a tight matchup George Williams’ own goal was the only difference on the night, resulting in a tough 1-0 loss.

Parkinson’s side will need to be wary of their opponents showing the same resilience as they did against Marine, as only Macclesfield have taken more points from losing positions than the 11 recovered by the Pitmen.

It’s been seven years since we last faced today’s visitors. Our most recent encounter came when we opened our 2019 FA Trophy campaign, as Brad Jackson and Akwasi Asante netted first-half goals to take us to a 2-1 victory in the replay.

Gaffer

Kelvin Davis dropped down two divisions to take over at Keys Park for just his second managerial role in February, replacing Gavin Hurren and leading his team to play-off success.

The 50-year-old took his side on an impressive run to keep their title chances alive. With seven wins in their last 10 games, they fell just two points short of the Northern Premier League Premier Division title, ultimately gaining promotion after a play-off final victory against Warrington Rylands on penalties.

Prior to this, in his first managerial job, Davis had guided Eastleigh to safety with a comfortable 13th place finish. When he arrived, the club sat four points above the relegation zone and was winless in nine games with 14 matches remaining.

Before his time at the Silverlake Stadium, he spent five years across Premier League dugouts as an assistant coach at Southampton, where he worked under a number of distinguished managers including Mauricio Pellegrino, Mark Hughes, and Ralph Hasenhüttl.

With a relatively short coaching career to date, the Bedford-born manager will still be widely recognised for making over half a century of appearances in the Premier League for Sunderland and Southampton, where he established himself as a reliable top-flight shot-stopper.

Alongside that he had a renowned career outside of the top flight, earning three consecutive Team of the Season inclusions across League One and the Championship for the Saints from 2010 to 2012.

One to watch

One of just six players to remain at the club over the summer, Ahkeem Rose has proven his worth as he’s earned widespread recognition for his role in Hednesford Town’s turn of fortune.

Netting on four occasions, the club’s joint top scorer was vital in their recent winning run as he helped his side to victories against Radcliffe and Spalding United, with his performance against the latter winning him a place in the National League North Team of the Week.

The Jamaican-born forward was a key cog across both managerial systems in Hednesford Town’s promotion winning-campaign of 2025/26, taking home the August and January Player of the Month awards, while ending the season with the most goals.

Having already played four seasons across step two in his career, the 27-year-old isn’t a stranger to the level, with his standout campaign coming at Weymouth in 2022/23 where he netted 15 times to earn a move across the Scottish border to Ayr United.

After making his breakthrough in men’s football at Pelsall Villa and Heather St John’s, he secured a move to the highest level of his career to date, as he featured 34 times for Grimsby in League Two.

He also turned out for a host of clubs across the non-league pyramid including the likes of Dover Athletic, Wimborne Town, and Boston United.

Match Preview by Harry Bennett.

Form guide

Chester FC | W7 D2 L4 | F17 A13 | Pos: 5th

Last three