Chester seal return with first title in 77 years

Chester City secured a return to the Football League after a four-year absence with Darryn Stamp's first-half goal proving enough to beat Scarborough at the Deva Stadium.

Promotion was secured - along with Chester's first title of any kind since they were Cheshire League champions in 1926-27 - with an uninspiring performance. Stamp, appearing against his former club, hit the opening goal after 19 minutes after good work from the side's leading scorer this season, Daryl Clare.

The Blues striker crossed and Stamp hit his 19th goal of the season with a left-footed strike from inside the area.

Scarborough went close through Wayne Gill and kept the pressure on, but were unable to force an equaliser which would have put Chester's promotion celebrations on hold.

The club's revival dates to October 2001, when the American Terry Smith sold the club to the Liverpool businessman Stephen Vaughan. With Chester struggling near the foot of the Conference, the former England international, Mark Wright, was appointed manager and as fortunes changed on the field, Vaughan and his management team started to turn things around behind the scenes.