WHATEVER happens when Chester's team bus heads up the A1 is anyone guess but at this rate joint managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morely will be happy if they never see Scotch Corner again after another trip to the North East ended in embarrassment and recriminations.

Back in August it was an 8-1 thrashing at Blyth Spartans which ended the early season optimism but after an eight match unbeaten run since then there should have been no reason to fear a trip to Northern League minnows Dunstun UTS.

But this is the FA Cup of course and come 5pm Johnson was left reflecting on a classic bit of giant killing from the Gateshead-based outfit as they came from behind to take advantage of Danny Livesey's second half dismissal and win a pulsating tie by the odd goal in seven.

"Disappointed is probably an understatement," said Johnson, reflecting on a 4-3 defeat which saw his side miss out on a place in Monday's fourth qualifying round draw and prize money of £15,000.

"We've picked a side that was probably the strongest we could have done and I'm disappointed for the club because of the money because it matters as much to us as it does Dunston.

"There was no reason for that happen. We've gifted it to them - we didn't do that against Kidderminster, we didn't do that against Chorley and we didn't do it against City of Liverpool. Sloppy play has cost us and ultimately embarrassed us because we should have got something out of the game."

Chester got off to the worst possible start at Dunston's compact UTS Stadium, when, with just 97 seconds on the clock, beanpole striker Liam Brooks played a one two on the edge of the area before hitting a fine low shot into the left corner of the net to have Dunston dreaming of a unlikely cup run.

From then on the pace did not let up as the Northern League side took the game to the visitors who looked shocked at the lower league side's direct play.

Brooks was a constant threat with Chester struggling to contain the tall forward but despite the unrelenting pressure the back four held firm as the away team began to gain a foothold in the game.

First Livesey headed over from a corner before Chester’s best chance came after Gary Roberts’ cross field pass was brought down by Dan Mooney, playing at the behest of parent club Fleetwood, on the edge of the box only to drag just wide from 18 yards.

The travelling support could sense an equaliser and it was worth the wait when on 35 minutes, Craig Mahon swung over a deep cross from the left touchline which was met beautifully by a hanging Dean Smalley who headed back across keeper Karl Dryden.

With Dunston tiring as the half approached its conclusion, Chester pounced again with a goal of the highest quality from Mooney who ran on to Mahon's through ball down the left edge of the area before unleashing an unstoppable left shot high into the top left corner.

Footballing logic dictates that just before the break is the perfect time to score but no one told Dunston who came out for the second period in similar fashion to the first and soon found themselves level and facing ten men.

A chaotic passage of play began with Scott Burton bringing down Jack Elliott for a Dunston penalty which was slotted home by Mark Fitzpatrick before Livesey was adjudged to be the last man and received a red card for bringing down the scorer three minutes later.

With Chester reeling, Dunston, who are unbeaten this season, took the lead when a corner was headed home from close range by Andrew Grant-Soulsby only for the visitors to hit back through Mooney who grabbed his second on the hour following a run and low shot from the right hand edge of the area.

For a brief moment it looked like normality had been restored but Dunston came again through Fitzpatrick who, with Chester claiming a foul on the dispossessed Matt Thompson, ran clear of the defence and beat Shenton.

"It was a foul," said Johnson. "He (Fitzpatrick) was all over Matty and jumped on his back. The linesman put his flag up, looked at the ref and the ref says play on and he puts his flag back down. I'm not bothered who we are playing against - it could be Chorley or Stockport County or Dunston - that is a foul and I feel a bit cheated."

With a classic cup tie showing no sign of letting up, Chester drove forward with Mooney denied by a point blank save and Steve Howson wasting a glorious chance when he headed a corner over from 12 yards.

But despite four minutes of added time, Chester could not find the equaliser and departed the North East with dreams of a crack at league opposition over for another year.

"They came at us early doors and put us under pressure," added Johnson. "But I thought we rode the early storm pretty well and played the pitch better.

"The start of the second half I don't know what happened. Scott Burton has got caught on the ball and left an 18-year-old facing a one on one after our corner.

"But we got ourselves back in the game despite being down to ten men and it was an unbelievable save from their keeper from Mooney and there was a great chance for Steve (Howson) so let's not pretend we didn't have the chances because we did.

"Fair play to them but some of the individual performances and sloppy play with which we gave the ball to them was really terrible, but I don't want to take anything away from them and the way they attacked us from minute one which was fantastic and a breath of fresh air.

"It's an amazing achievement, fairy tale stuff, and I know how their manager will be feeling now and how the club are gong to be feeling over the next few days with the cup draw on Monday.

"We're walking away with our tail between our legs and it's not good enough from us."