Cheltenham Town FC

Kyle Storer equalised early in the second half after a mistake from the keeper and although both teams had chances, neither were able to find a winner and the spoils were shared at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium.

In a first half void of many clear cut chances, it was a piece of individual brilliance which gave Chester the lead.

After Jack Munns had been stripped of possession on the half way line in the eighth minute, the hosts broke quickly and got the ball out to striker Ross Hannah on the right. Cutting inside onto his left foot he fired his shot into the top corner from 20 yards.

That was the only notable chance in a lackluster opening 26 mintues in which Cheltenham struggled to keep hold of the ball.

Ryan Higgins almost doubled the lead in the 27th minute when his long range effort looked to have gone in, only to be denied by a diving Dillon Phillips in the Cheltenham net, getting down low to his left to push the shot round the post.

Hannah then should have added to his tally when put clean through by George McLennan's backpass that got nowhere near the keeper, presenting the striker with a clear opportunity. However his lob over the out-rushing Phillips drifted wide of the post.

Cheltenham's first threatening attack came in the 38th minute when Harry Pell made a penetrating run through the middle, beating several defenders only for his shot to be deflected wide.

From the resulting corner Chester won the ball back easily and broke away with four on two in their favour heading into the Cheltenham half.

They managed to get the ball in the back of the net when Hannah converted a cross from the right, but his effort was disallowed by the linesman who correctly adjudged him offside inside the six yard box.

A frustrated Gary Johnson didn't wait for half time to change things, bringing on Asa Hall for Billy Waters in the 42nd minute after the latter had had a disappointing first half.

Whatever Johnson said to his side at half time clearly worked, with the Robins leveling the scores inside three minutes of the second half.

After a good start to the half, with the passing much improved, a shanked clearance inside his own box by Chester defender Johnny Hunt sent the ball miles into the air. His keeper, Jon Worsnop, came and completely missed his punch with the the ball finding it's way to Kyle Storer who did well to put the ball home from 10 yards.

The match, which had been rather quiet in the first half, sprung to life. With both sides having chances and moving the ball around much better.

Hannah almost scoring a replica of his earlier goal, only for this time his bended effort to sail just wide of the upright.

Cheltenham had Morgan-Smith and Hall booked for late challenges as the game became scrappy around the hour mark, before Morgan-Smith's curling effort almost embarrassed Worsnop again, with the keeper unconvincingly keeping the shot out when it had bounced in front of him.

Dillon Phillips then came to the visitors' rescue on 63 minutes when Hannah's rasping half volley looked destined for the top corner. The Cheltenham number one, on-loan from Charlton threw himself full length to keep out the shot with one hand.

Chester pushed for a second but a mixture of last ditch defending and deflections kept the away side on level terms. 

Back came Cheltenham, with Morgan-Smith testing Worsnop, who could only push his header over bar after a good cross in from Jack Barthram.

Barthram was again involved after 74 minutes, when his drive in from the right past several tacklers was unlucky not to end in a goal when his left footed shot thundered off the bar.

Hannah, a constant thorn in skipper Aaron Downes' side all game, again got the better of the defender before letting fly from 25 yards, thankfully from a Cheltenham perspective he didn't worry Phillips as the ball flew wide.

Jack Munns did well late on to track substitute Craig Hobson all the way back into the box and his slide tackle dispossessed the Chester man as he was about to shoot.

Chester finished the stronger of the two teams, but lacked the final ball to create any meaningful chances and the game ended 1-1.

Teams

Chester

Jon Worsnop

Ryan Higgins, Ben Heneghan, Ian Sharps, Johnny Hunt

Luke George, Tom Shaw,

Jordan Chapell, John Rooney (72, Craig Hobson), Craig Mahon (83, George Thomson)

Ross Hannah

Cheltenham

Dillon Phillips

Jack Barthram, Aaron Downes, Daniel Parslow, George McLennan

Harry Pell, Kyle Storer, Jack Munns, Billy Waters (42, Asa Hall),

Amari Morgan-Smith, Danny Wright

Attendance: 2304