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Chester City 0 Stockport County 0

Simon Smedley
30/ 4/2008

CHESTER goalkeeper John Danby turned in a blinding second-half performance to keep County at bay last night.

The Hatters just couldn’t find a way past the City stopper late on, but a point apiece from the game will probably have suited both sides as the hosts secured their League Two survival and Jim Gannon’s men cemented a top five place.

That means County will now meet Darlington or Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off semi-finals, with the away leg first.

Gannon resisted the opportunity to make wholesale changes despite automatic promotion now being out of reach, but Jason Taylor and Anthony Pilkington did return for starts, as did Conrad Logan between the sticks.

There was an early scare for Logan when big John Murphy charged down a regulation clearance, but thankfully the ball spun high and wide and away from goal.

Pilkington twice tried his luck when he saw a half-volley saved and a low drive deflected wide, but worryingly for the Hatters Liam Dickinson limped off just before the half-hour mark after twice going down with a hamstring injury.

City were beginning to look more and more desperate as the interval approached and Mark Hughes powered a header inches over but, after all three County subs had been used - with Taylor also looking injured - the score remained goalless.

There was a frantic start to the second period.

Logan dived full length to keep out Paul McManus’s piledriver, while at the other end Hatters’ sub Adam Proudlock twice found space but was twice denied by Danby.

County players and their 1,400 fans screamed for a penalty when Proudlock appeared to be blatantly tripped by Hughes, but appeals were waved away and the visitors continued to press. Gary Dicker headed just over, then on 82 minutes Pilkington saw a thumping header quite brilliantly beaten away by Danby. The ‘keeper then thwarted Dicker in stoppage time, but the game ended scoreless despite a cracking second half County performance.

After the game boss Gannon expressed more frustration at the performance of the referee, but added: "We’ve got that fifth place, we could be fourth but who cares, we’re in the play-off semi-finals home and away, so bring it on."