DURRELL POPS UP LATE FOR CHESTER

ELLIOTT DURRELL’S goal three minutes from time ensured Chester arrested a slide in form that had seen them lose seven of their previous eight National League games.

For Blues manager Jon McCarthy it was a welcome three points that means they move nine points clear of the relegation zone.

“My lads have done tremendously well to get us where we are and despite the recent form it is a massive improvement on last year,” he said.

“We know what Elliott Durrell can do, he loiters in the little holes that make him hard to mark and he has scored a massive goal for us today.”

Despite the late drama the game itself was largely forgettable with nothing of incident taking place in the first 45 minutes as both sides struggled to get to grips with the strong wind and dry surface.

The second half however witnessed a minor upturn in quality. Tobi ShoSilva thought he had opened the scoring a minute after the restart when he dispossessed substitute Blaine Hudson but his shot from a tight angle was cleared off the line by Sam Hughes.

With clear cut chances at a premium Kane Richards failed to hit the target when he took advantage of a Ben Chorley mistake, the defender recovering well to deny the striker a shot on goal.

Just as both sides seemed content to settle for a point, Durrell intervened. Picking up the ball 25 yards from goal, the winger worked space to hit a low effort that beat Bromley keeper Ross Flitney to win the game for Chester.

Bromley manager Neil Smith cut a frustrated figure at full time.

“I asked the boys to be more positive in the second half and their keeper pulled off two fantastic saves,” he said.

“Chester had one shot all game and for it to go in is gutting. We shouldn’t have come away with a loss today”