Wanderers came from behind to reach the second round of the FA Youth Cup as goals from Toby Ritchie and Lucas Kirkpatrick sent Julian Darby’s youngsters through, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites were stung by going behind early on to the non-leaguers but hit back to avoid an upset and deservedly put themselves in the draw with goals either side of half-time.
Ritchie capped a fine night’s work with a well-taken leveller before midfield man Kirkpatrick seized his moment to claim a classy late winner as the young Whites passed their test on the main stage.
Boss Darby has seen his side play better but against dangerous opposition was pleased to see them finally produce the goods at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on a big first night for the current crop of youth.
“I said to the lads before the game it's all about getting into the hat for the next round. It was tough, we made hard work of it,” said Darby. “When you see the tie come out, you're thinking 'Chester at home, big, big banana skin'. They've played three games in the preliminary rounds and in the second game they thumped Rochdale 11-0.
“I watched that and they were decent, so I knew they'd be coming here, fancying it. I knew they'd get at us, and that's what they did. They went one up and you're thinking ‘oh no, what's going to happen?’
“But fair play to the lads, I thought the last 15-20 minutes of the first half we actually grasped the game a little bit more and we got the equaliser. Then in the second half, after a few changes and a few words, I thought we controlled it to the last 5-10 minutes.
“Ultimately, this is what these lads are working for. They’re working to play on here every other week and when you look round, I wish I was young again because it's an absolutely fantastic stadium.
“It's a great experience for the kids. I hope they enjoyed that experience and I hope they'll learn from it, because they've got to do better than that. They know they're better than that, they are better than that, but they kept going and they sussed it out in the end.”
Chester had won three ties and scored 17 goals without reply to reach the first-round stage and sensed a possible upset and further progress in a flying start.
Dangerman Luka Salvatore had already headed against the outside of a post when he showed the power and poise to expose some weak defending fire the visitors ahead with a polished finish.
Wanderers – with four first-year scholars and 15-year-old forward Sonny Coyne in their starting line-up – took their time to settle but led by the eye-catching Corey Thomas reacted well to the set-back and were deservedly level at half-time.
Piercing runs out wide from Thomas had pushed Chester back and the wing-back was involved in the equaliser following a Wanderers’ corner.
A cross from captain Jack Mawditt was only cleared as far as Thomas and when he teed up Alfie Healy, the left wing-back delivered another ball into the box which dropped for Ritchie to fire home first time on the turn in impressive style nine minutes before the break.
Coyne then had a chance to put the Whites in front just a minute into the second half but couldn’t beat Seals’ keeper Calum Mackin as Wanderers stayed on the front foot.
The lively Ritchie had a couple of further efforts as Darby’s side looked to press home their growing advantage before defender Louie Evans then steered an overhead kick just over the top following another dangerous corner.
Wanderers had played some impressive football in patches after the break and when the winner finally did come it was from one of the best moves of the night.
Extra-time was only 15 minutes away but the Whites stayed patient and when the ball was played from the back into Coyne, he turned and played the perfect pass for Kirkpatrick to run onto, cut inside and steer a cool left-footed finish across Mackin and into the far corner.
It wasn’t quite done as Salvatore fired inches wide as Chester looked to keep the tie alive but Wanderers had done enough and could have made the margin of victory more comfortable when Coyne created another chance for Ritchie who was denied his second goal of the night by Macklin’s fine block.
Wanderers: Lomax: Baucutt (Lamb HT), Evans, Sixsmith; Thomas, Kirkpatrick, Mawditt, Healy Quirk 71); Ritchie, Coyne (Hopkinson 90+4), Nuttall (Ogburu 81). Substitutes: Shillinglaw, Fakhy, Best.
Chester: Mackin; Power (Edwards 60), Abbott, Deakin; Dyer (Robinson 85), Kennedy, Corbett, Ireland; Murphy; Bush (Cattermole 81), Salvatore. Substitutes: Carroll, Belski, Forbes, Dixon.
Referee: Francis Sibley
Pictures: Ben Livingstone