Chester FC V Maidstone United MATCH THREAD

The young lads did brilliant today and will only get better, some silly mistakes cost us today, Noble took his goal brilliantly, well done lad, looking forward to next year if the young lads continue to progress like they have done.

Result aside, there were no doubts about effort today. Everyone tried really hard, especially the young lads. I actually felt a bit sorry for them having to play in difficult circumstances but I’m really proud of them, especially local lad Cain Noble who scored on his debut.

To be fair the officiating was really poor today. Credit to the ref for sending off one of the Maidstone players, but that wasn’t a penalty and there were also a number of other errors. Still though, the attendance was healthy with 1,728 basking in the sun.

Maidstone took a brilliant following too and almost took up all of their section. They are a proper club with a big fan base who don’t really deserve to be in the position that they are. However, they have stayed up with that win now so that’s good for them. It’s sad to see Torquay drop down today as well. It was going to happen anyway but there supporters don’t deserve the turmoil which has been dragging on for a couple of years. In a selfish way I’m gutted that we won’t be playing Chesterfield away next year as they also went down. The Proact Stadium is great so I will be gutted that we won’t be playing there, but maybe we will one day.

I may as well talk about tables now as there isn’t really anything else to say. Altrincham went up so that will be a nice local derby, and Tamworth have been relegated I believe. Great to see Macc getting promoted and it’s even better to see Wrexham ‘bottling’ it up again.

Although we lost today, all of the young lads who played can come off that pitch with pride. It was great to see Cain score and I’m sure that this is another milestone for our already magnificent Academy. I really can’t wait for the match at Walsall next month. I booked the coach today so I’m really looking forward to it.

Special mention to Andy Firth too for giving me a pair of his match-worn gloves. He didn’t really play too well today but I can’t believe that he gave me a pair of his gloves. I’m a ‘keeper myself so I will treasure them lol.

Anyway, Barrow away next week now. I’m going to it so I’m looking forward to making the day out of it in Cumbria. I have a feeling that it may be on BT Sport as the relegation battle could get tasty. Solihull, Woking and Barrow are all in it. Let’s just see!

Young lads gave it a go and should be proud of themselves, especially well done to Cain Noble for his goal.

Naivety at the back cost us, Maidstone’s first wasn’t a penalty but it was poor defending from Jones in the first place getting caught on the wrong side. The second goal was a farce and although we should have had a free kick in the lead up to their third you have to play to the whistle, poor from Astles that. Good intentions from Calum to want to play out from the back but that was too extreme, it ended up costing us anything from the game as well. Should have told them to cut that out. Not sure why he left Gough on either with Anderson sitting on the bench, the lad could barely move for the last 20 minutes.

Impressed with Matty Thomson at right back. He looks a good prospect.

Maidstone are a likeable club, I think anyone who has visited them at their place will think the same. Well supported and they are going the right way, off the pitch at least. However I do fear for them next season, their fall down the table is very reminiscent to us this time last year and I’m not convinced their manager is up to it at this level. They were poor today and benefitted from three gifts against a team whose average age was probably about 19.

What on earth does that mean Rio? Name a non-proper club? Do we deserve to be where we are? Do Sunderland? Do Man City? The league table doesn't lie, especially at this stage of the season. 

We absolutely deserve to be where we are - you can't have directors carrying on like ours have and expect anything better.

Couldnt get to the game today , but interesting to see that the youngsters did as well if not better than the so called superstars, which tells you everything you need to know. Get a new manager in and gat some steel in the team to support Callums youngsters and bin the rest.

Pretty much how I see it too. Some great young prospects in the side but I couldn't care less if any of the rest went - I include Astles in that.

There's some who really must not be on our books next season - the likes of Ake, White, Halls, Hannah & James. It'll be harder moving some on than others.

That was my point. 

We do.

So why do we deserve it and they don't?

Doesn’t half make me feel old that we’ve now got players born in the 21st Century playing for us.

I thought in the Gateshead youth game that Cain Noble stood out, and actually looked like the sort of midfielder we’ve been missing all season.

I thought Andy Halls put in a shift today and looked completely knackered when he came off, he has taken a lot of stick in the first half of the season but he waved the clausein his contract and stayed with us. I thought all the young lads did very well today but if we try and play too many at once in the Conferance North we will go down again, we need to play the older lads and get the younger boys out on loan to learn and come back when they are ready to replace the boys who I am sure will move up to a higher level.

Yes out through injury.

They only probably had a big following due to needing the points i'm not sure if they take a big following like that every away game

their whole squad would be on 3 times the wage our 6 youth boys are on and i thought our boys stood up to them well all game and got stuck in to them