Report: Chester 3-1 Warrington Town

A battling performance from Warrington Town wasn’t enough to earn a point away at promotion-chasing Chester.

The Yellows led through Aaron James’ first half header, but the hosts levelled through Tom Peers’ penalty and scored twice in the final 15 minutes to earn a 3-1 win.

Paul Carden named an unchanged side to the one that beat Rushall on Saturday, the Yellows’ first league win of 2025.

A nice ball on the turn from half way by Joe Rodwell-Grant released Joe Ackroyd to eventually force a first corner of the match, that would lead to the opening goal on 12 minutes.

James, on loan from Chester’s fierce rivals Wrexham, rose highest to head into the far corner from Mikey O’Neill’s ball in.

That led to a spell of pressure from the Yellows, with Rodwell-Grant denied by Jimmy Storer from 25 yards out, and then Josh Amis shot wide and couldn’t quite get on the end of a Rodwell-Grant cross.

From nothing though, Chester got back in to the game. A sharp one-two on the edge of the box saw Dan Mooney enter the penalty area where he was chopped down by a desperate James.

Up-stepped former Warrington striker Peers to convert from the spot, despite the best efforts of Dan Atherton.

The Yellows’ hopes were dealt a blow when skipper Amis was forced off on the half-hour mark with a suspected broken hand, though the first half ended 1-1.

Although Chester enjoyed more of the ball in the second half, it was Warrington who created the first clear opening, Rodwell-Grant intercepting a ball forward and finding substitute Matty McDonald in the box, he got the ball out of his feet and had his shot through bodies stopped low by Storer.

It was Chester that got their goal though, 13 minutes from time.

After Atherton had kept out Dec Weeks’ free-kick, the resulting corner was cleared to the edge of the box and then returned to find Taelor O’Kane, with an inexplicable amount of time eight yards out, and he was able to get control of the ball and find the back of the net.

That knocked the wind out of Warrington’s sails, but they didn’t deserve to concede the third four minutes from time, Atherton’s clearance intercepted by Dan Mooney who struck a superb effort from 40 yards to find the unguarded goal.

Chester: Storer, Burke, Weeks, Rawlinson, Peers (Rosenblatt), Lambert (Willoughby), Turner, Woodthorpe, O’Kane, Roberts, Mooney (Leak). Unused subs: Daly, Kennedy.

Warrington Town: Atherton, Southern, Clarke, Douglas, James, Harris (Makinson), Ackroyd (Williams), Green (Doro), O’Neill (Amaral), Rodwell-Grant, Amis (McDonald).

Post-match reaction