Chester-le-Street Juniors 2

Lumley Juniors 3

THE Chester-le-Street Town Juniors made six changes from the line-up that started against Hartlepool United in the FA Youth Cup ten days earlier but it brought no change in fortune or result as the Cestrians were once again beaten in extra-time.

On this occasion it was Lumley Juniors who inflicted the misery at Moor Park. Chester have been the victims of their own success recently and with quite a few key players undertaking professional trials in various parts of the country, they were forced into several changes for the biggest cup competition in the region.

Chester were desperately trying to exorcise the ghost of the Hartlepool United defeat, but unfortunately it was not their day as they turned in what manager Andrew Muxworthy described as the 'worst performance he has seen by his team in the last five seasons.'

Lumley started well enough, taking a 2-0 lead inside 30 minutes. First, Robert Draper scored with a fine effort after good work by Paul McDonald. Karl Haggon powered the second from a corner on the half hour.

Crucially, the turning point in the game arrived in the 43rd minute when Lumley's leading scorer Craig McManus was left unmarked to fire home from five yards.

Lumley took the game to Chester after the break and when Michael Renshaws wreckless challenged produced a penalty, Simon Dolman made no mistake firing the equaliser.

As the game moved into extra-time Lumley looked by far most likely to secure the winner and it happened when the Chester rearguard made their third and most crucial mistake, giving the ball away in their own box for McManus to pounce and fire a 98th minute golden goal winner.

Muxworthy feels the manner of the club's exit from the FA Youth Cup knocked the stuffing 'right out of his team.'

He added: "Today the best team won. We've had ten days without a game, but it looked more like ten years. The only positive thing I can say about this match is that we didn't lose by more goals.

"We are a far, far better side than this performance and result showed. Despite the fact that we did have a number of key people missing, we should and could have done so much better."

Chester: Beckwith, Coulson, Low, Haggon, Renshaw, G. Draper (sub: Dawson 62), Flynn, Murray (sub Smith 62), McDonald, Taylor, R. Draper. Subs not used: Rome, Watson