A very disappointing end to the game, but over the ninety minutes you would have to say a draw was a fair result. Last season's matches against Chester did not feel like derby games, but today's certainly did, a feisty, end to end affair with both teams going for the victory. It was actually a very entertaining game until the red card. Going forward, I thought we played good football and had a bit more quality than the opposition. However, defensively I thought we looked uncomfortable for large periods of the game, and struggled to deal with the pace and directness of Alabi and Richards. I thought the problem was more a lack of protection from midfield than the centre backs, but all that said, with eleven men on the pitch I think we still would have edged the match. I think you have to give a lot of credit to a much improved Chester side for coming here with two strikers and having a real go at us.
In the first half the game ebbed and flowed, with both teams having spells on top, but Rovers generally creating the better chances. Cook and Mangan had missed decent opportunities before our first goal, which resulted from a decent move, as did Tollitt's second. By contrast Chester troubled us with their pace up front, but had only one genuine chance, the effort against the crossbar after a poor pass from Mangan. As much as the red card, I thought the first ten minutes of the second half were a turning point in the game. Rovers started incredibly sloppily, inviting pressure, and the Chester goal was no surprise when it came. Rovers did respond, with Mangan missing a great chance to get a third, before the referee's intervention. My view of the sending off was that both bookings were harsh. Tollitt's change in the first half seemed to win the ball and was no worse than several from Chester players which went unpunished; for the second booking for diving, I was only ten yards away and it seemed Ben was caught by the defender but went down theatrically.
After the red card it was basically a rearguard action for Rovers, and Mellon will no doubt be criticised by some for bringing on another defender and trying to hold on to a lead. However, I think two up front would have been risky given the pace in the Chester attack, and we actually did a good job of stifling the game for twenty five minutes, with Chester's equaliser a worldy from a centre half.
Individually, I thought there were some excellent displays, certainly in the first half. Cook and Tollitt were very good, but I thought Harris and Kirby really stepped up to the mark and had excellent games, the latter looking full of confidence under the new manager.
A disappointing performance in some respects, but we can't win every game under Mellon and this always looked a tricky fixture. A good crowd and a great atmosphere and we actually move up a place to third.