Chester City 1 Southport 0

F.A. Umbro Trophy Sixth Round, Saturday 10th March 2001

Southport manager Mark Wright blasted the referee of today’s encounter. As Chester snatched a late victory, following the award of contentious free kick, which resulted in Matt Woods 87th minute goal, which put them into the semi finals of the F.A. Trophy.

Mark Wright was clearly incensed by the performance of the referee, a referee who is no stranger to controversy involving Southport. Wright claimed after the match, “ How a local man can be appointed for this fixture is beyond me. This referee was a disgrace, he has now cost us twice this season”

The previous performance that Wright refers to was earlier this year, against Rushden & Diamonds, which prompted Southport to put in a complaint regarding his appointment for this clash. Mark Wright further claimed that the local county F.A. had some sort of anti- Liverpool bias by the appointment, of the Evertonian Pollack.

Wright was fully aware that his comments may land him in hot water with the authorities and that they might smack of sour grapes, but he did give credit to a battling Chester performance.

The game itself was a typical cup-tie, which was given added spice by the proximity of two sides both geographically and with regards to their positions in the Conference table.

The 3,000 strong crowd did not have long to wait for any meaningful action when after only 20 seconds Southport’s Ian Arnold, flashed an effort wide of the City upright. A minute later, the play switched to the opposite end of the field, City’s former Southport player Steve Whitehall hit a twenty-yard free kick wide following a foul by Phil Bolland.

Referee Pollack, did not do anything to endear himself to Southport manager Mark Wright when he waved away claims for a penalty after 16 minutes, following Woods challenge on Simon Parke. Four minutes later, the referee turned a deaf ear to Southport appeals for another possible penalty. After Ian Arnold’s cross-appeared to strike the hand of the Chester defender.

The half was drawing to a close, as Southport found four players booked in the final five minutes. Phil Bolland was cautioned for persistent foul play; while Chris Lane, Mike O’Brien and Mark Marsh were all booked for fouls on wing back Matt Doughty. It was not a dirty encounter, more keenly fought than anything else, as was highlighted by the midfield battle that was more robust than malicious.

It was Southport who had the greater share of the possession in the first half, but could not seem to get the end result their approach play deserved.
Chester battled on manfully having been denied the services of centre backs Paul Beesley and Martin Lancaster through suspension.

Three minutes into the second half, Southport keeper Steve Dickinson had to be alert when he saved a well struck effort from Mark Beesley.

On the hour mark, following good work down the left by Beesley, Matt Fisher fired over from twenty yards. On 66 minutes, Southport’s Simon Parke tried a speculative effort from the left hand corner of the box that, Wayne Brown, Chester’s England semi-professional international goalkeeper was more than equal to.

City’s best chance of breaking the deadlock came on 68 minutes, after Matt Fisher’s in swinging cross-found Steve Whitehall, who flashed a diving header just wide of the upright. The chances came and went for both sides, so to did the bookings City’s Matt Woods and Southport’s Ian Arnold and Simon Parke were added to the five names from the first half.

Chester had another opportunity on 71 minutes when Whitehall shot just over the top after the visitors’ defence had failed to clear a cross from Doughty.

The game was seemingly heading for a draw and a replay on Tuesday night; when on 87 minutes the referee awarded a free kick, to City following a foul by Southport substitute Lee Furlong. From Doughty’s free kick Whitehall headed over the Southport crossbar.

It was almost a sense of déjà vu a minute later when the referee awarded a free kick in a similar area of the field; the Southport players remonstrated with this decision but to no avail. On this occasion Doughty’s free kick caused no end of problems in the Southport defence, Matt Woods managed to plunder the winner with three minutes to go and break the hearts of Southport’s large travelling contingent. The final whistle saw Southport manager vent his frustrations at the official before he tried rallying his battle weary troops.

After the game Chester manager Graham Barrow reflected on the referee’s performance as being “Six of one and half a dozen of the other” before further adding, “People will now probably expect us to go on and win this trophy, which we probably should do. We wont be taking nothing for granted in the semi finals.”

Chester’s impressive run continues, with out a doubt Chester should be too strong over a two-legged semi final, for their next opponents but this is cup football as has been highlighted in other cup fixtures today. For Southport though it has been a depressing seven days for the club after today’s Trophy exit and last weeks loss at home to lowly Kettering Town. Southport must now pick themselves up for Tuesdays League encounter with none other than Chester City.

ATT: 3,204

* This report previously appeared on the now defunct website Pyramid Football