Dag & Red v Chester 04/02/17 Match Thread

Don't think I've ever seen us play so well and come away with nothing.

Can't have any complaints about the two penalties. Don't really blame Hunt for the deliberate handball either, was worth the risk imo as there were so many bodies in the box he probably hoped the ref wouldn't see.

Another very poor ref, gave a ridiculous free kick near our corner which lead to their winner. He was clearly trying not to give cards out but went over the top and didn't give some when they were definitely deserved.

Thought all our players were great today with one exception - wade joyce. He's just not good enough for this level and looks lost on the pitch. Put so many passes straight to D&R players.

MOTM is a tough call but for me it was Luke George.

A quick mention for the embarrassing D&R fans...."FACK OFF CHESTER, FACK OFF CHESTER"

Not too downhearted tonight, missed a couple of big players in Sam and Ryan Lloyd, thought we'd get dicked beforehand, and even more so when I saw the lineup. Disappointing to lose from a winning position, when we'd done really well to come back from going a goal down before half time.

Gateshead is the perfect opportunity to get back into winning ways. Next 3 games, Gateshead (H) Maidstone (A) Barrow (H). Got to be looking at 5 maybe 6 points from the 9 on offer. Break out of this little spell and then see where that takes us.

Spot on.

Time to give Hudson a break and get Sam back.

That's the best I've seen the lads play in a while, I'm gutted we didn't get the win. 5 mins to go and it was ours, I can't fathom where the 6 mins of injury time came from.

It was an entertaining game...that's the best I can say, despite the result. We played some great football, saved a penalty, worked like a team unit and were the better team. My man of the match was Tom Shaw - created space, peppered the crosses into the box, scored a cracker and my highlight of the day - a Ronaldo-esque showboat backheel over the top of a defender in the box...beautiful.

Was gutted to hear those D&R goals going in at the end. I've been through all the usual thoughts - it's because I support Chester that they lost ...should have put a tenner on D&R when we were 2-1 up with 5 minutes to go (to put the pox on D&R) etc. etc. BUT when I look back now I heard the match on BluesLive thus:

1. We played very well and worked really hard for the cause and each other

2. We didn't convert our chances, particularly in the first half

3. They missed a penalty

3. We stopped a certain goal through handling it on the line

4. We stopped another certain goal (Astles handball) but we and he got away with it

5. On another day with lesser competition we would have probably won and away at this play-off team we deserve credit for the performance.

Looking forward to Anders version of what actually happened but feeling better now than I did at 4.55. Have put the razor down (at least for another week).

My number 1 priority would be to extend Tom Shaw's contract. He's the player we didn't have last season, he's a player of the season contender and would be very difficult to replace. I hope this is to hand.

He'd be slaughtered if he had though. If Roberts saves the penalty (which he nearly did by the sound of things) we'd all be raising a glass to Hunty tonight. He's only fractions of a second to think about it anyway so it's an instinctive decision.

I'm sure the squad will be hurting after the last 2 fixtures where we deserved more, but the Gateshead game is a great chance to put it behind them and bounce back live on TV.

Hopefully, Hughes will be back at CB with Astles because Hudson is becoming abit of a liability.

COYB! Keep the faith!

So frustrating to lose like that, playing so well but conceding 2 late goals is hard to take but it has to be said were hitting some bad form now its 1 win in 7 (with 4 defeats) and before that we only lost 1 in 17 and were now conceeding alot too in comparison to that run of clean sheets where we only let in 1 goal in about 10.

So so cruel. We didn’t deserve that, not by a long shot. We deserved to win, without question. I was walking back to the tube station after the game and Dagenham fans walking alongside us were actually apologising to us, they felt guilty.

I did fear the worst when seeing the team news, I haven’t seen enough from Joyce to suggest he’s good enough and I’ve never been convinced about George either. We started brightly though shaving the post through George after about a minute. The first half theme was pretty much ourselves with a lot of efforts just off target from on the edge of the box. Dagenham’s penalty in the first half was at the other end but it appeared the correct call. Okenabirhie was causing Vassell some problems and skipped past him before Hudson brought him down. Fair play to Roberts though who saved it well. Their opening goal came just before half time when Sheppard cut in from the right and fired a tame looking shot past Roberts at his near post. It looked a soft one to concede from where I was but stand to be corrected on that.

Credit to our boys we came out in the right frame of mind after the break, a heavy ball was played out to the left and Horwood did extremely well to keep it in and play it back across before George fired In powerfully from straight on. The second followed not long after when I think Vassell and Horwood combined to tee up Shaw who curled the ball in from the edge of the box. Other than a near own goal later on from Hunt I thought we were comfortable enough. It all changed with five minutes left when Shaw committed a needless foul by the corner resulting in a free kick latched on to with a header goal bound when Hunt put his arm out to stop it. Can’t blame him, it was instinct and was certainly going in. The winner came in the 95th minute when Benson headed a cross in on to the bar only for Maguire-Drew to mop up and slot home.

Thought the ref was poor, he was physically breaking our attacks up at one point but he got the big calls correct. Stupid foul by Shaw in the corner and Hunt definitely handled it. I’m not sure why he felt kicking the ball away was only an offence in added time though, Astles was rightly booked for kicking the ball out of the ground but Dagenham were at it all first half and escaped punishment. He also let the Daggers players hassle him when trying to send Hunt off. He already had the red in his hand and yet still they were moaning and waving their arms around like silly kids wasting time, something their fans are having a go at us for!

That was Luke George’s best performance in a Chester shirt by some distance, he looked really up for it and to be fair Wade Joyce knocked the ball around well too. I also thought the likes of Horwood, Durrell and Alabi stood out. I wouldn’t say anybody was poor though.

It’s hard to take and I’m gutted. It’s been a frustrating week, we’ve trekked miles and I feel we’ve outplayed two sides in the play-offs away from home only to get beat twice, on the second occasion in the cruellest fashion to boot. Hopefully Macca and Chris can keep the lads heads up as the performances are more than fine, we’re just not getting the luck.

Had a drink have we?

End of the day we lost, they won, it happens. The lads can keep their heads up and of course the goats will look up? Why wouldn't they.. not being funny but I never said mind the gap etc for this very reason.

I think Blaine is adequate to fill in for injuries, but the fact is we've concede 3 or more 9 (nine) times this season and Sam Hughes wasn't playing CH in any of those games. I believe that Hudson was.

We need to go back to basics from now on - bring back the 4-4-2 we have abandoned recently (no surprise we've been losing games during that time IMO) and get as close to our best X1 on the pitch. Of course, injuries are hurting us but at the same time JMcC frequently says he has a fully-fit squad to choose from.

I've calmed down enough to see we were, once again, unfortunate to lose but how many "played well, unlucky to lose" games will it be before we are looking over our shoulders?

What do you mean by standards?