CHESTER v Solihull Moors - Match Thread

Hardly ~ Leyton Orient won and that was the big one.

Can't see them going down. Barrow, Eastleigh and Flyde more ones to watch

Poor first half, improved second half with Shaw on. Quite solid at the back, I was impressed with Jones

Not pretty at all, but I'd have bitten your hand off for that before kick off. Hopefully this will be a turning point

Has height and pace but really needs to work on his positional play as he was getting dragged about a fair amount. I'm sure that can come with coaching though and he was still miles better than the donkey that is McCombe!

He's at home in Wrexham crying into his microwave meal for one after his team got a battering today.
Or maybe he's on 'vacation' again in some part of the world with no internet as he was last time we had good result.

Not that he would have been on here after a win anyway, but Whopper is banned so you won't be seeing him on here anytime soon.

Nathan Brown scored for Colwyn Bay too.

Ok we ground that out and a welcome three points it was. First half was pretty dreadful from both sides. Wasn't really sure what our line up was in the first half as the midfield was no existent but swapping the very poor Halls for Shaw at half time made a big difference. Hannah coming on also gave us a slightly more intelligent edge up front. To be fair, they never looked like scoring and we closed the game out fairly comfortably once the goal had gone in. Let's not get carried away though, Solihull are bottom of the league, but we got the win and we need to push on from here - you could tell the players were made up.

Too early to tell on the new keeper yet as he was hardly tested but there were signs that he is better than Lynch - commanded his area took a couple of tricky high balls and distributed well. I've been off the radar so recently a little so it would be good if someone could explain where Jones and Anderson have come from, but both did ok and Astles was a rock as usual. Not sure how Akintunde was MOM but why quibble? We've won at home and we haven't been able to say that much this year. Merry Christmas fellow Chester fans!

And well played to the volunteers who cleared the pitch -much respect and appreciation.

God that was hard work!! looked awful in the first half but improved (only slightly) in the 2nd half.


New keeper looked very calm and assured - even came from a couple of crosses! so an improvement there I think.

Back four - very good clean sheet, Hall Johnson looked like he needed the game but thought Jones on his debut looked very comfortable at that level, plenty of pace and got more into the game physically as the game wore on.  He must have done his chances of more games the world of good. Astles for me was MOM, led by example, threw himself into challenges and marshalled the back 4 very well.  I have to say though I was pleasantly surprised with Anderson, he had a good steady game and nowhere near as bad as come on here claimed he was - once again an example of giving a player a chance before we slate them off!

Midfield - what a mess! playing two fullbacks in midfield is a recipe for disaster.  For all those calling for Rowe Turner to be a left midfielder - there was your answer today, really poor.  Halls was no better.  Improvement came in the 2nd half with Shaw coming on but playing with 4 in midfield doesn't suit Dawson who doesn't get on the ball as much.  I like Dawson, think he can open up defences for us but being in a 4 man midfield doesn't suit his style.  I don't know what the answer is there cos we do need that little bit of creativity in the side that he brings.

Udoh I thought should have stayed on instead of Aki, thought he had a bit more movement, bit more physically about him than Aki today.  Hannah looked sharp when he came on and was in the right place to head home his goal.

Front two were isolated for too much of the game - quite often playing against 5 or 6 players....as we have ALL said we desperately need some width to provide support to the front two and it was good to see Mahon on the bench today, not the player he was but at least will try and have a go out wide.

All in all considering how poor we were I thought 3 points was exceptional - id have been happy with a point after that first half!

Thought we played pretty well today after a slow first half. Tom Shaw really makes a difference for us, especially when he's brought on to replace that impersonator Andy Halls. Having Hall-Johnson back was important too - he's far too good for this level, I hope we can get that loan extended until the end of the season. Thought Miles Anderson had a great game as well - in fact, the back 5 all played really well and their performance deserved a clean sheet.

Keeping Shaw and Hall-Johnson fit and playing is going to be really important for us going forward. Not sure why McCombe wasn't in the lineup today but it needs to stay that way - he's awful. I also really fail to see what Kingsley James brings to the team at all - lacks pace and any desire to get on the ball when in space, staggers me the amount of criticism Dawson gets on here when James has played the way he has all season.

Low on quality from both sides but it doesn't really matter. Today was all about winning and beginning to build our confidence.

Our tactics are frustrating at times. So narrow at times and our wing backs were overly cautious - it felt like we gave them a bit too much respect by keeping 5 across the back, but the plan was clearly to nick a goal and we did so well done MB.

I thought Jones was a touch out of his depth for the first 45 minutes and was bullied a bit. Second half, he was much better. Lovely to see one of our own make the step and he, with the right coaching, he looks like he has potential.

Any of our centre halves could have been MOTM, but Anderson was my pick. Superb performance, much more mobile than McCombe.

Great to see Hannah doing what he does best, I hope that kick starts him again.

They all absolutely ran their bollocks off for the cause and that's what we all want to see. Well done blues.

First half awful and tactically inept. 3 at the back made Jones almost a right back and got roasted a few times.He's a centre back and 2nd half showed his quality.
Sat too deep so massive gap to lone striker outnumbered 3 to 1...Marcus when that happens push 2 more up front ? They are bottom of the league. We need to play 4-4-2 as 5 midfielders get in each others way or don't understand their own roles ?
Udoh, Hannah ip front with Aki just behind and never play Halls or Rowe Turner again please?

This league has little consistency. So Solihull beat Orient last week and Orient hammer Sutton today...and we beat Solihull....confidence is everything perhaps (on the day!)