Chester FC V Ebbsfleet United MATCH THREAD

We are great 😂😂

1,591. Dear me that's terrible. Feel bad that I couldn't make it myself now.

Mahon on for Hannah

How do you know that if you're not there? Doesn't sound awful, sounds like we've been a bit unlucky, although we say that a bit too often.

GEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT IIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN AKINTUNDE

Fair enough, can understand that.

Good result given our situation and opposition. Would have lost that before sacking most probably. Will be interested to hear thoughts on those that attended later.
Attendance understandable and suggests what will happen if we don't pick up on results.

They're obviously very tough to beat. I normally think you should be disappointed to draw at home and the search for a 2017 win at the Deva goes on, but that's a good point in the circumstances.

Next home game is now against Maidenhead, which will probably be the first game for our new manager. Sets it up perfectly for them to win our first home game since 2016 in their first match!

Interesting match. Was surprised to see Shaw start with 3 up top. The first 15 minutes looked like McCarthys interpretation of the beautiful game with both teams pumping it forward aimlessly. But then we settled and we aimed balls down the channels which was always going to be a good tactic given than Ross and Aki will chase those kind of balls. This was also refreshing as it meant we actually kept the ball in the opposition half and kept them away from a defence missing Astles. There wasn't a whole lot to seperate the sides until their strike, which was a corker and nobody to blame for that. Heads did go down a bit which is understandable but I always felt we could score which makes a nice change. Unsure as to whether it was us having the shackles loosened or if they sat back too deep but we were getting closer and got a deserved equaliser. It was a nice finish from Aki, who had concerned me a bit as he was blowing out of his arse for the previous 10 mins. Both teams could have got winners, and I was convinced Bell's whipped effort was flying in, but a draw was the right result in a hard fought match.

The main positive is that we looked a more cohesive outfit going forwards, the 3 up top did allow us to stretch their defence although sometimes Ross ended up dropping too deep which really isn't his game. Halls had his best game by miles alongside his mate McCombe. Also thought it was Turnbull's best game as a lot of our moves were orchestrated by him, and he also got through a lot of dirty work.

The negatives.....Sherron looks a week link. He did settle into the game as it went on but he worried me in that first half. LRT isn't enough at this level either, again he got better as the game went on but from both full back positions we aren't closing down the space to put crosses in, but perhaps it's a hangover from McCarthys narrow defending philosophy.

Overall, it was just nice to feel like we were in a game which we could have won, and we actually had some decent spells of pressure shooting towards the Harry Mac.

Not sure what happened with their keeper but he was absolutely fuming with a comment from the terrace, bellowing that he was going to inform the referee, so we may not hear the last of that.

Did someone tell him he looked like a girl? What was that head piece all about?

Much improved performance, first time in nine months that the opposition has possibly had less possession than us and struggled to pass the ball around. Ebbsfleet were underwhelming although do have a couple of tidy players in their ranks. Refreshing to see us be more positive by pressing and attacking for a change, struggled to create anything particularly meaningful in the first half mind you. Also, the back four were still pretty guilty of hoofing it too much in the first half although it seemed to stop when they realised Ebbsfleet weren’t that good so passed the ball around more.

I did wonder where a few were playing at times, Joyce and Hannah in particular who both seemed to roam around a lot. Thought it was actually one of Joyce’s better games although that’s not saying much really. Don’t know about anyone else but Andy Halls looks much more comfortable at centre back to my eye as well, thought the same on Tuesday, probably would have given him man of the match today myself. Looked much more dangerous with Mahon and Dawson on and Akintunde despite still looking a bit short of fitness was a constant danger with the ball at his feet.

Disappointing not to get that elusive home win, especially as it looked like it might be on the cards with the way the game was going but that’s at least a big step in the right direction.

Quite happy with the performance, if anything we were the better team in terms of possession and shots. Just nice to see a few passes on the deck, and leaving men up when they had a corner

Yes he was and making a lot of notes.