County’s pre-season friendly schedule began with a Saturday lunchtime victory by the odd goal in five against National League North hosts Chester.
It was a good first workout of the summer for the Hatters, who fielded largely different line-ups in each half, as well as taking an early opportunity to introduce their close-season signings – with the exceptions of the two arrivals from Colchester, Jayden Fevrier and Jay Mingi, who were carrying minor knocks.
County went ahead before the half-hour through Academy Scholar Che Gardner, who had only been handed a last-minute start in Will Collar’s stead, and further goals were added by first-half captain Kyle Wootton and Lewis Bate to put the Hatters well in control of proceedings at the interval.
But two second-half strikes by Chester, who had also made a number of changes after half-time, closed the margin to produce a final scoreline repeating that between the two clubs’ last friendly at the Deva Stadium just under a year earlier.
The Hatters took to the field in their new pale pink change-kit on an unseasonably overcast and chilly early afternoon, with only two players from the initial 11 – namely, Kyle Knoyle and former ‘Seal’ Ibby Touray – to have also started in the close-season encounter of 2023.
The hosting Seals, for their part, fielded left-back Nathan Woodthorpe – son of ex-Hatter, and Chester’s Assistant Manager, Colin, who had spent five seasons, and the final one as skipper, at Edgeley Park from 1997.
County fashioned the first attempt on goal with just under 10 minutes played, as a well-struck shot from distance by Jack Diamond was parried by home goalkeeper Cameron Mason. And, shortly after the quarter-hour mark, Gardner wove his way into the box, before being denied by a Chester trialist’s block.
County’s starting trialist saw his afternoon unfortunately cut short before the first half’s mid-point, courtesy of a facial injury that led to his replacement by Callum Camps. But half a dozen or so minutes later, the Hatters went ahead – with Gardner latching on to a Bate through-ball, and slotting home to the left of Mason.
Corey Addai made his inaugural save between County’s sticks a little over 10 minutes before the break – holding on cleanly to Harrison Burke’s header, following a free-kick by Declan Weeks from the left.
Gardner went close to netting for a second time when his shot from just inside the area was tipped over by Mason. And the resulting corner on the right – delivered by Bate – was met by Callum Connolly, whose header grazed the crossbar.
The hosts had the ball in the net through a Tom Peers volley – only to have it disallowed for offside. And almost immediately afterwards at the other end, County’s lead was doubled as Wootton latched on to a Gardner cross from the right and converted from close range.
Then, with two minutes of the half remaining, Bate capped an impressive start to life as a Hatter by unleashing a shot from 25 yards that flew past Mason into the top-left corner.
HALF-TIME: Chester 0, County 3 (Gardner, 27; Wootton, 39; Bate, 43).
Glimpses of sunshine greeted the teams following the break, with County putting out a second-half side with nine changes that included further new signings – among them, Sam Hughes who, like Touray, had begun his playing career with Chester.
There was also, upon the resumption, a nostalgically welcome sight for travelling Hatters when County National League legend Jordan Keane – currently between clubs, having recently been released from Halifax – was introduced as part of a four-player midfield.
Half a dozen minutes or so into the new half, Cody Johnson fired an effort narrowly over for the Hatters, and on to the roof of the net, after being fed from the right by Jid Okeke. But the Seals’ first attempt after the interval saw them reduce the arrears, as Charlie Caton – who had scored the opening goal against County the previous July – bundled home from close range, after being played through by George Glendon.
Five minutes beyond the hour, Mitch Hancox drilled wide of the right post, and, shortly afterwards, development County ‘keeper Max Metcalfe denied Glendon in front of the same upright, as the hosts continued to exert some pressure.
With nine minutes left, Chester scored a second, as Matty Williams thundered home a rocket of a shot from the edge of the box. And in added time, the hosts went close to equalising when Glendon’s squared ball from the left narrowly evaded a final touch by the onrushing Caton.
FULL-TIME: Chester 2 (Caton, 57; Williams, 81), County 3 (Gardner, 27; Wootton, 39; Bate, 43).
First-half Team (3-4-3): Addai; Knoyle, Horsfall, Connolly; Okeke, Bate, Trialist (A) (Camps, 20), Touray; Gardner, Wootton (Capt.), Diamond.
Second-half Team (3-4-3): Metcalfe; Mann, Hughes, Pye; Okeke (Stretton, 63), Keane, C. Johnson, Bailey; Camps (H. Johnson, 77), Trialist (B), Fiorini.
Attendance: 1,265.
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
