Peterborough Sports' excellent little run came to a shuddering halt in Chester

Both teams had lost their opening two league games before taking seven points from their next three fixtures, but it was Chester who continued that upward curve with a comfortable 3-0 win. They are up to eighth with Sports now down in 17th and they could soon fall further as they have seen their scheduled midweek game at bottom club Oxford City has postponed because of the home side’s international call-ups.

Sports almost struck first in Chester as Eliot Putman’s wicked set-piece strike forced a fine save by home ‘keeper Elyh Harrison in the 15th minute and four minutes later the hosts took the lead. Charlie Caton was the scorer with a low shot following a fine through ball.

And it was 2-0 within another four minutes when Harrison Burke had a simple tap-in as a low cross found it’s way to the far post. Crook stopped it becoming 3-0 almost immediately with an excellent stop to prevent Coton claiming his sixth goal in four matches.

Chester took that domination into the second-half and the third goal they deserved arrived on 71 minutes when Tom Peers smashed home from an acute angle. Only an offside flag stopped Sports conceding a fourth goal.

Oisin Gallagher had Sports’ best opportunity of the second-half, but his effort was tipped over the crossbar by Harrison.

Chester: Harrison, Hunter, Rawlinson (Pollock 45′), Burke, Woodthorpe, Bainbridge, Glendon (Hancox 86′), Weeks, Caton (Murray 78′), Willoughby, Peers.

Sports: Crook, Putman, Fryatt, Kamson-Kamara, Gash, Lawlor (sub Tootle, 58 mins), Gallagher, Felix (sub Alban-Jones, 58 mins), Jarvis, Jones (sub Goodman, 58 mins), Sembie-Ferris. Unused subs: Gyasi, Van Lier.