TOWN paid tribute to their former manager Bill Shankly before suffering a dismal 2-1 home defeat by Chester.

While he had achieved global fame via his feats as manager of Liverpool between 1959-74, the 67-year-old, who died three days after suffering a heart attack, spent four years at Town before his arrival at Anfield.

Both Town and Liverpool were in the original Division II when Shankly, who was right-hand man to Andy Beattie when he first arrived in Huddersfield and succeeded him as manager in November 1956, made the switch to Merseyside.

Twenty two years on, Liverpool were among the leading clubs in Europe while Town were playing in Division III (now League I).

And after the setback at the hands of Alan Oakes’ side, many fans in a 7,747 Leeds Road crowd feared they were heading back to the basement section.

The previous season, Mick Buxton’s men had come close to promotion, but this time around, they had won only once in six going into the Chester clash, when both sides wore black armbands as a mark of respect to Shankly.

Hopes were high that Town could build on the 3-2 home success over Southend in the previous game – especially when they took a 22nd-minute lead through Ian Robins, the former Oldham and Bury man registering his 100th league goal..

But they came horribly unstuck against a team who had scored only once in their previous six outings.

The scoreline might have made the match look close, but the visitors’ victory was comprehensive and clinically efficient.

Town’s normally steadfast back four looked very uncertain, and Chester’s first, on 33 minutes, was a personal nightmare for right-back Malcolm Brown.

The midfield was non-existant at times while up front, Town flickered fitfully, and passes went astray throughout the game.

Chester had forced five corners to Town’s one when Buxton’s side took the lead against the run of play, Robins heading home from a precision free-kick by winger Dave Cowling.

But Chester stuck to their guns, and were rewarded when Brown was robbed by Peter Sutcliffe, who sprinted away and centred for big striker Gary Simpson to hook the ball home.

With former Manchester City ace Oakes pulling the strings in the middle, Chester were looking comfortable, even if goalkeeper Grenville Millington had to dive full stretch to deny Mark Lillis.

The visitors finally claimed a deserved winner in the 75th minute.

Winger Ron Phillips and midfielder Bryn Jones linked neatly and while the stretching Steve Ludlam was unable to make contact with the cross, former Chesterfield man Simpson popped up to force the ball home.

Town were seventh-bottom with a tough-looking trip to third-placed Reading to come the following Saturday.

Also on the agenda was a League Cup second-round showdown with top-flight Brighton (Rochdale had been beaten 7-3 on aggregate over two legs in round one).

“It’s still early in the season, but in football, you are always under pressure to get results,” said Buxton.

“Our confidence is at a low ebb at the moment, but we just need to get some breaks and things will come good for us.”