City held in ugly stalemate

Off-form Exeter City escaped with a point from Chester after an out-of-sorts performance at the Deva Stadium.

The side struggled to find any real rhythm and cohesion in the windy conditions and failed to test Danby in the Chester goal. The returning Rob Edwards failed to impress while the side missed impact sub Craig McAllister.

Chester's powerful forward line were kept quiet by Matt Taylor for the majority of the game but as the Grecians pushed for the breakthrough goal they were hit on the break and only the excellence of Paul Jones denied Chester in an otherwise instantly forgettable afternoon.

In stark contrast to last week's fantastic comeback, Exeter lacked that spark and seemed to lack any real match-winners in the side but with a few of their play-off rivals faltering this cold afternoon at the Deva may well be looked back on as a point gained.

Paul Jones - Yet again Jones rescued Exeter when the side go off the boil. A fine save first half was capped by an even better one at the death as Chester looked for their first win in 7.

The travelling Exeter fans also deserve a huge mention, almost 500 made the trip and were in superb voice. The best away support in the league? I think so.
As mentioned above, Jones really is top-class. Another vital save at the death and he will be delighted with a superb clean-sheet. Withdrawn for Seaborne, Tully did very little and although he was not tested by the Chester attack he offered little going forward himself and had a spell in the first half where he could do little right. Moxey again proved himself to be a consistent performer for the Grecians although you do get the feeling that he is wasted in such a defensive position. Run of the mill afternoon for Gill. Nothing to write home about but hardly disgraced himself. Edwards had a mixed performance. He won almost everything defensively alongside Taylor but seemed very keen to slow the pace down when the team looked to counter attack. May find his position under threat. A commanding performance from the captain. He won so many aerial balls and kept the homeside at bay. Slow, wasteful and rarely involved. Stewart had an afternoon to forget after two superb performances. Like Edwards he seems to slow the game down too much at times when it is obvious pace and a quick tempo are needed. A solid game for Panther who was withdrawn for Harley despite doing fairly well in an off-colour midfield. Withdrawn at half-time Stansfield had a quiet first half but City missed his pace to really penetrate the Chester defence as they began to tire. A relatively good performance from Logan who held the ball up well and showed a good touch but he didn't seem to have that little extra to make the breakthrough. Whipped in some dangerous balls and tried to up the tempo in the second half when some of his team-mates seemed determined to crawl through the match. A half-time sub, Basham was rarely involved and did not to much to suggest he should have started. This match was perhaps better set up for Watson's pace or McAllister's strength but neither made the 16. Bar one superb ball for Logan from his own half Harley had an afternoon to forget. Often delays far too much on the ball and made some very sloppy passes. Vital blocks and tackles were the name of the game for the late sub. He was also strong in the air and denied any space for Chester in their right wing position: a positive cameo. Paul Tisdale - His tactical changes worked perfectly last week but he couldn't work his miracles again this afternoon. The side he put out were playing at a very slow tempo and failed to really move out of first gear. Edwards instant return to the side could be questioned and with Archibold-Henville and Seaborne pushing for a starting place he could find his place under threat. Mark Wright - Wright will be pleased with his side's resilience and determination after 6 games unbeaten they obviously lacked confidence but their timewasting and defensive play as the game wore on showed how happy the former England defender was with a point. Have your say below on the City player ratings.

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