Blues Match Report: Avro 4 - 1 Chester

Chester fell to a 4 - 1 defeat and exited the FA Trophy against Avro, at the Vestacare Stadium in Greater Manchester.

Phil Parkinson’s men started well on a chilly afternoon, with a first opportunity falling to Connor Woods but he couldn’t direct his header on target after a powerful cross from Tom Peers.

The breakthrough arrived on the 15-minute mark after Woods won a penalty following a collision with two home defenders inside the 18-yard box, before the number 17 slotted into the bottom corner with composure from 12 yards.

Avro came into the contest as the half grew older, with a first effort from Will Salt forcing Luke Hewitson into a smart stop, before Benito Lowe sent a drilled effort just wide of the post.

Lowe got on the scoresheet soon after, giving Hewitson no chance will a well-directed effort into the corner to restore parity just before the half-hour mark.

The final major chance of the opening period fell to Woods who twisted and turned on the edge of the area before his low effort was denied by Jon Vilar Robinson in the home goal.

Nathan Woodthorpe went close to a second for the visitors mid-way through the second-half, but struck his shot narrowly wide after good link-up play with Peers on the edge of the home 18-yard box.

Connor Murphy was next to send an effort towards goal but Vilar Robinson denied the midfielder’s long-range effort with a smart stop.

The home shot-stopper was forced into another good save with less than ten minutes remaining, blocking a low effort courtesy of Jefferson Abreu from an acute angle.

Lowe got his second of afternoon late on to put the hosts in front, smashing past Hewitson from close-range after a cross from Ryley Smith.

The Ro made it three two minutes later when Taylor Dyson slammed an effort into the bottom corner from long-range.

Adam Owen added a fourth for the home side in stoppage-time, sending a powerful strike into the back of the net from close-range.

Phil Parkinson’s men return to league action on Tuesday evening with a trip to Spennymoor Town.

Starting XI: Hewitson, Burroughs, Woodthorpe, Weeks, Peers, McHale, Murphy, Burgess, Woods, Moore, Reed.

Substitutes: Mackin, Abreu, Boggan, Jones-Mellor, Reed.

Scorers: Woods 15′, Lowe 29′ 87′, Dyson 89′, Owen 90+1′