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Darlington 0 Chester 0

Attendance 1035

Quakers were held to a goalless draw by Chester at Blackwell Meadows in a scrappy game.

The game never had any great flow to it with clear chances at a premium, but at least Quakers still have a chance to progress at the Deva Stadium on Tuesday.

There was a chance to Quakers in the first minute. Jake Cassidy went up for a bouncing ball with Chester keeper Louis Gray and the ball dropped for Cassidy, who couldn’t quite get control of the ball and the defence got the ball away.

Will Hatfield curled a lovely right foot shot into the top corner, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Junior Mondal cut in from the right on 6 minutes and made a good run into the box where he fired straight at Gray.

Chester gained their first corner on 14 minutes, but Luke Charman got the ball away.

They nearly stunned Quakers on 22 minutes. Declan weeks picked the ball up 40 yards out, spotted Tommy Taylor off his line, and tried to chip him, and the keeper backpedalled furiously to touch the ball over the top.

After a brief stoppage to repair the net, Chester got a free kick 30 yards out which Paddy Lacey curled into Taylor’s hands, then Weeks fired from the edge of the box straight at Taylor.

The keeper then fisted away a right foot shot by Roberts, and Weeks fired high over the bar.

Griffiths did well to get a sliding tackle in on Askew to prevent him getting into the area.

Half time: Darlington 0 Chester 0

Alex Purver had a shot blocked just inside the area at the start of the second half, while Gray held on to Kallum Griffith’s low cross from the right at full stretch.

Joe Wheatley forced his way into the box past two defenders on the right, but from an acute angle put his shot over the top.

Quakers had a let off when Darren Stephenson got through one-on-one, but fired into the side netting.

Quakers made two subs, Kevin Dos Santos and Andrew Nelson coming on for Alex Purver and Junior Mondal.

Chester nearly took the lead on 62 minutes when James Hardy headed a right wing cross towards the bottom left hand corner, but Taylor got down well to push the ball around the post.

Quakers had a chance when Hatfield’s free kick was headed down by Cooper at the far post, but nobody could take advantage.

Quakers appealed for a penalty when Dos Santos appeared to be impeded as he went for Smith’s left wing cross, but the referee waved the appeal away, and while that was going on, Nelson volleyed wide.

The home side built up the pressure, and were unlucky when Smith crossed deep from the left for Cassidy to have a header blocked for a corner.

Quakers went close again when Hatfield laid back Smith’s left wing cross for Nelson to sidefoot wide.

Final score:

Darlington 0 Chester 0 (replay Tuesday, 7.45)

Team: Taylor, Griffiths, Cooper, Storey, Smith, Hatfield, Wheatley, Purver (sub Nelson 60), Mondal (sub Dos Santos 52), Cassidy, Charman
Subs: Hedley, Rivers, Martin, Hope, Lambert

Booking: Cooper
Chester: Gray, Roberts, Askew, Williams, Grand, Lacey, Weeks, Hardy (sub Livesey 83), Dudley, Stephenson (sub Marsh-Hughes 75), Waring (sub Johnston 83)
Subs: Morgan, Clark, Lowe,  Horsfield

Stats courtesy of Alex Holland:

Shots on target: Darlington 6 Chester 5

Shots off target: 3/5

Fouls: 11/9

Corners 5/3

Offsides 1/4

Yellow cards 1/0

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