Chester le Street Town  beat Birtley  Town 2-1, in their first game in group H of the Mitre Brookes Mileson League Cup. 

They took the lead after 8 minutes when the ball was played over from the right by Jack Brown and quickly passed on for Luke Colllins to fire in. After 12 minutes, David Surrey crossed over the ball from the left to Jack Brown who hit a low cross into the middle of the area. Collins turned the ball towards the goal but keeper, Graeme Pickering made a good block. After 16 minutes, Anthony Lee received the ball on the left and fired the ball across the face of the goal but Brown just failed to make contact with the ball. Chester came close to doubling their lead after 33 minutes. A good move down the left saw the ball played to the near post where Anthony Lee turned it toward the goal but Pickering made a great stop to keep the ball out. Despite all the chances they’d created, Chester only held a 1-0 lead at the interval and many wondered whether they would be punished in the second half.
After 58 minutes, a ball into the area found Brown in space but his shot crashed against the post and rebounded to safety . Birtley restored parity after 73 minutes when they were awarded a controversial free kick on the edge of the area, Oliver Leedham stepping up to curl the ball over the wall into the top corner of the net past the outsreched hands of Chester keeper Coombes . Chester got what proved to be the winning goal after 77 minutes when a corner was played over from the right and as a defender tried to clear it rebounded off Thomas Soutar into the net.

Team: Maximiliano Coombes, Christopher Stephenson, David Surrey, Kevin Dixon, Alexander Walker, Danny Hepplewhite, Luke Ridley (Harrison Scott, 74 mins), Jak Mitchell, Jack Brown, Anthony Lee (Michael Hepplewhite, 65 mins), Luke Collins. Subs Not Used : Ricky Fenwick, Harry Whisker, Calum Greaves.

Supporters Man of the Match for Chester le Street Sponsored by Corporate Clothing  – Alexander (Ban ) Walker