CHATTERS FIRE FIVE!

DEVA CHAT FC ran riot to record their second win in three games on Saturday, romping to a 5-1 success over FC Buxton at the BT Cellnet River Deeside Stadium.

The win lifts the the side up eight places to 36th in the 79-team league, having taken six points from the last possible nine.

The Chatters had a familiar look to their settled side, but centre back Stef Lambe and midfielder Andy Holliday made their returns after sitting out the last outing.

The hosts began on the back foot, soaking up the opposition's attacking pressure, and they were indebted to Holliday's block and captain Rob Cartwright's headed clearance off the goalline from one corner midway through the half.

Holliday couldn't have known much about it, as the ball struck him then rebounded off the underside of the crossbar before the well-positioned Cartwright scrambled clear.

The Chatters slowly came into the game, dominating the last quarter of the half, and won a succession of threatening corners.

It was from one of those corners that they took the lead five minutes before the break - Mark Ephgrave's delivery was met at the near post by striker Ash Dolan, who hammered a header inside the post.

Dolan had looked threatening, linking up well with strike partner Ephgrave and Joe Cartwright attacking from the midfield five, whilst Alan Hitchin and Rob Cartwright ran the wings.

The hosts began the second half in much the same vein as they ended the first, and soon doubled the lead on the hour mark.

An attack down the left side eventually saw the ball break to the impressive Joe Cartwright, who dragged a low shot across goal from the edge of the box that found the bottom far corner with the keeper beaten.

Within five minutes it was three, as Dolan negotiated the offside trap from a through ball to race in behind the defence and slot into the bottom corner for 3-0.

The three goal cushion allowed manager Nath Auty to freshen the side up, bringing on Steve Gresty and Andy Sheehan for Ephgrave and Hitchin, but just four minutes later the visitors were handed a lifeline.

A low corner was swung in towards the near post and the FC Buxton striker got a touch to push the ball over the line. Chatters' defenders were adamant that the ball had not crossed the line but the referee awarded the goal.

Within ten minutes, though, the three goal lead was restored when Dolan completed the perfect hat-trick, again racing beyond the Buxton defence to slot under the on-rushing 'keeper.

The perfect head, right foot, left foot hat-trick produced Dolan's 20th, 21st and 22nd goals in Deva Chat colours - in his 22nd appearance.

The match was made safe in the 89th minute when Hitchin, back off the bench for the injured Holliday five minutes earlier, raced to the left byline and drilled a low cross to the back post where Joe Cartwright was on hand to finish for his second and his side's fifth.

Chatters boss Auty said: 'It's always nice to win by such a big margin but the performance in particular was strong from back to front.

'The back three dealt well with a ridiculously bobbly pitch to snuff out any attacking threat the opposition had, and it's a plus to have a striker who can put three goals away as that relieves any pressure on the rest of the side.

'I felt we soaked up alot of early pressure and maybe had a bit of luck on one or two occassions but we got ourselves into the game after the first half hour and were on top for much of the rest - we could even have scored three or four more but I'm delgihted with a 5-1 win.'

Deva Chat FC have a break this weekend, but are next in action when Halifax make the journey to the BT Cellnet River Deeside Stadium on Saturday week.


Deva Chat FC (R-L):

1. Hill

17. Wall
6. Lambe S.
32. Ingram

8. Cartwright R. (©)
7. Holliday
#. Mort
27. Cartwright J.
11. Hitchin (on for Holliday, 85)

16. Dolan
9. Ephgrave


Substitutes:

2. Chicane
3. Auty
#. Darlington
15. Sheehan (on for Hitchin, 65)
21. Gresty (on for Ephgrave, 65)

A 79 team league? Does that mean you play 3 games a week for 52 weeks of the year?

We basically attempt to play the supporters side from the team Chester are playing on the saturday, hence we've travelled to the likes of stocky, rochdale and bury before going on to watch the blues.

On this occasion we were due to play mansfield at home, but the team couldn't get 11 lads together who wanted to watch their team lose again away.

I bet they wish they'd made the trip now!

The league is basically for supporters who enjoy travelling to away games and playing football against other supporters teams in our league. It builds terrific bridges and there is cracking banter during each game.

When CCFC are playing at home and the away fans don't fancy the trip, we arrange games with teams out of our division such as buxton and it's interesting talking to people who follow the unibond week in - week out.

Incidentally halifax have been itching to play us all season, they have often commented on the friendlyness of Chester fans when we were in the conference and how they dream of a day when they can play us again...

as andy says, it's a fantastic craic being in this team/league, such a good laugh during matches as all the teams come for a good hearted game of football and to get to know how the average city fan is like.

also The DCFC news room clearly wasn't watching my 2nd goal