CHESTER paid a heavy price for a series of defensive errors in Surrey, going down 3-1 at Woking. 

The Blues failed to build on Saturday's 4-0 home victory against Sutton United and were condemned to a defeat against a Woking side who celebrated their first win of the campaign.

Keiran Murtagh put the home club 1-0 up after 17 minutes, but Ryan Lloyd levelled matters in the 26th minute.

And Woking put the match beyond Chester's reach in the second half when Joey Jones and Chigozie Ugwu both netted.

The Blues made three changes after their 4-0 weekend home win against Sutton United.

Jordan Chapell, James Alabi and Johnny Hunt all started in place of Elliott Durrell, Sam Hughes and Theo Vassell.

Chapell was employed on the right flank, while Alabi returned to the forward line after serving a three-game suspension, and Hunt operated at left-back, with Evan Horwood switching to right-back in the absence of Vassell who suffered concussion in Saturday's match.

Chester started brightly and forced home skipper Ishmail Yakubu to clear the ball without being under pressure during the opening minute.

Alabi then held up the ball before threading an incisive throughball into the path of Chapell who was dispossessed on the edge of the Woking penalty box.
Tom Shaw tried his luck from a half clearance, but his 20 yard strike was dragged wide of the left  post.

But the Cards hit back in the seventh minute when Max Kretzschmar saw his unchallenged header from 10 yards fly over the bar.

And Jake Caprice created space for himself on the right when he beat Hunt before rifling a byline shot that hit Jon Worsnop before bouncing off the right post and rolling out of play.

Woking continued to press with Caprice and Dennon Lewis both causing problems with shots from outside the penalty area.

Kieran Murtagh then picked out a long range pass for Charlie Penny who fired wide of the right post.

And Murtagh then broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when he found the bottom right corner of the net from 25 yards.

Chester countered, but Blaine Hudson's 22nd minute header from Lloyd's corner was saved by home keeper Michael Poke.

And Hudson also headed wide from the resulting corner which was also delivered by Lloyd as the Blues continued to press.

Penny was denied an opportunity to control a long range pass from Murtagh in the 25th minute thanks to the quick thinking of Worsnop who cleared his lines.

Chester came close to equalising in the 26th minute when Alabi's close range header from Richards' assist hit the bar before being cleared.

But the Blues did level matters seconds later when Lloyd's delivery from the left flank was glanced by Lloyd into the bottom right corner of the net.

But Woking didn't allow Chester to celebrate for long as they went 2-1 up two minutes later thanks to a Joey Jones header from a Kretzschmar cross on the right.

Woking continued to attack in a bid to extend their advantage in the 37th minute, but Ryan Astles managed to block and clear a low goalbound shot from Caprice.
And Kretzschmar rifled a 39th minute free kick from 25 yards into the line of relieved Chester defenders.

Yakubu then saw his close range header fly over the bar as Woking maintained a stranglehold, and Chigozie Ugwu saw his low 25 yard shot fly wide of the left post minutes before the interval.

Chester made a double substitution before the second half got underway, with Sam Hughes and Elliott Durrell replacing Hudson and Hunt.

Chapell moved to the right back role, while Luke George and Astles partnered one another in central defence. 

Woking carved the first goalscoring chance of the half, but Worsnop saved a header from Jones in the 49th minute.

But Chester hit back with Hughes steering a free header well wide of the mark from Richards' left wing cross.

And the Blues introduced James Akintunde in the 70th minute in place of Chapell as they switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

But Woking substitute Zak Ansah pounced on a mistake by Astles, before finding the sidenetting with his 25 yard shot.

And Woking extended their lead in the 75th minute when Caprice found Chigozie Ugwu in space who smashed home from close range.

Chester then failed to test home keeper Poke for the remainder of the match after struggling the break down the home club's well drilled backline.

WOKING (4-4-2): Poke; Caprice, Gordon, Jones, Saah; Yakubu (Saraiva 78), Penny (Ansah 68), Murtagh, Ugwu; Kretzschmar (Carter 76), Lewis. Subs (not used): Hall, Edgar.

CHESTER (4-4-2): Worsnop 6; Horwood 6, Astles 6, Hudson 6 (Hughes 46), Hunt 6 (Durrell 46); Lloyd 7, George 6, Shaw 6, Chapell 6 (Akintunde 70); Alabi 6, Richards 6. Subs (not used): Roberts, Mahon.
REFEREE: Robert Whitton (Essex).
ATTENDANCE: 1,271.