AN unbelievable injury time strike from Daniel Mooney saw Chester extend their unbeaten league run to ten games in the most dramatic fashion after the Blues somehow salvaged a 2-2 draw against Brackley Town.

In the days proceeding this match, Blues joint manager Anthony Johnson had talked up this game as a yardstick with which to measure his side’s title ambitions but for much of the game Chester were a poor second to the impressive hosts which made Mooney’s late goal that much sweeter for the Blues’ travelling support who watched in wonder as the winger’s 20 yard volley flew past Danny Lewis in the 92nd minute to complete a memorable brace for the former Fleetwood Town man.

Before kick off the crowd at St James Park were entertained by the Brackley and District Brass Band but in all honesty it was a first half in which both sides failed to hit the high notes as two well organised teams cancelled each other out.

The hosts had the best of the opening encounters with Lee Ndlovu causing an early scare for the Blues with a mazy run and curling shot which was beaten away by a diving Grant Shenton.

From then on it became something of a war of attrition with a flooded midfield ensuring there was little space for any creativity and Chester’s back four snuffing out the sporadic Buckley attacks.

Salford City loanee Manny Dieseruvwe, making his first start for the Blues, was a willing focal point up front and on 20 minutes he carved out the first chance for the visitors with a sharp turn and shot in the area which was saved by Danny Lewis.

A renewed sense of purpose after the break saw Brackley take the game to Chester and the breakthrough came nine minutes later thanks to some slack defending from the Blues who lost Ndlovu in the box allowing the former Grantham Town striker to place a free header which was superbly saved by Shenton only for Shane Byrne to drill the loose ball past the prone keeper.

The Chester response was immediate and effective with their first foray forward seeing Dieseruvwe lay the ball off to Dan Mooney on the edge of the area before the midfielder’s sweet shot took a slight deflection and curled beyond Lewis into the top right corner of the net.

As the saying goes you’re never more vulnerable than after you’ve scored and less than a minute later the Blues obliged with some poor defending allowing Matt Lowe to cut in from the right before passing to Byrne who tip toed his way through the heart of the defence and toe poke the ball beyond Shenton.

Three goals in nine minutes and the game was transformed with both sides taking advantage of the newly appeared space in both halves and Lowe trying his luck with a low drive from 20 yards which flew narrowly wide.

With ten minutes left on the clock the ineffective Anthony Dudley was taken off for John Pritchard as Chester began the push to get level against a Brackley side prepared to hold on to their lead.

Dieseruvwe went close with a long distance effort before Deane Smalley came on for Steve Howson leaving the Blues with three at the back as the game entered its final stages.

With gaps appearing all over the place at the back, Byrne missed a good opportunity to complete his hat trick, dragging his shot wide with the goal at his mercy before James Armson repeated the trick just moments later.

As injury time beckoned, joint managers Bernard Morley and Johnson threw on Luke Jordan for Dieseruvwe but it was Mooney who grabbed the headlines when he swivelled on the edge of the area before unleashing an unstoppable volley to claim the most unlikely of points.