A first ever goal from youth team graduate Tom Peers ensured Chester ended 2014 on a high note following a 2-0 triumph at a bitterly cold Shay Stadium against FC Halifax Town.
Nineteen-year-old Peers 84th minute header added to Matty Brown's seventh minute headed strike as Steve Burr's charges got back to winning ways.
The game had been in doubt after Boxing Day's heavy snowfall had blanketed the Calderdale region, but thanks to the work of around 40 Halifax volunteers, 180 cubic metres of snow was cleared from the Shay pitch to get the game on.
Coming into the game Chester had been on a pretty wretched run of form in the league, with their heroics in the FA Cup at the beginning of the month long since forgotten following three successive defeats and no win since December 2.
With that in mind, a trip to Halifax to face the seventh-placed Shaymen might not have presented the ideal way to bounce back for Steve Burr's men but they started proceedings in the best possible fashion in Yorkshire when Brown glanced his header past the despairing dive of former Chester custodian Matt Glennon to put the hosts a goal to the good after seven minutes following some excellent work from the lively Kane Richards.
The new signing from Ilkeston FC picked the ball up out wide on the left hand side and jinked past his marker before clipping in a cross into the path of Blues skipper Brown to give Chester the advantage and warm the cockles of the hardy travelling band of Blues fans.
The visitors looked comfortable in possession against their hosts, with the leggy and listless performance against Altrincham on Boxing Day seemingly a million miles away.
Burr had shuffled his pack for the trip to Yorkshire with Ibou Touray continuing in place of the suspended Gareth Roberts and Jamie Menagh and Ben Heneghan both getting starts in place of Craig Mahon and Michael Kay.
Halifax toiled and struggled to make inroads into the Blues defence and had to wait until 15 minutes to register their first attempt when Will Hatfileld flashed an effort over the bar from distance.
The hosts tried to press but couldn't find a way through, with Worsnop keeping out a point blank effort from Lois Maynard, but the Halifax midfielder was flagged for offisde.
There were few clear cut chances for the Blues to add to their tally but they did test the home defence with Brown heading over from 10 yards from a Rooney corner and Charnock denied a golden opportunity when Rooney's wicked cross was nipped over by Scott McManus to keep the score at 1-0.
Neil Aspin's side did come closest at the end of the first half when defender James Bolton hit a sweet 25-yard angled effort that fizzed inches over Worsnop's goal to ensure the Blues went into half-time a goal to the good.
Halifax came out of the traps quickly in the second period and immediately put the Blues on the back foot with Scott Boden lashing a 12-yard effort from a knock down at Brown, with the deflection falling kindly for Worsnop. That was followed 60 seconds later by substitute Richard Peniket heading at Charnock when well placed from eight yards.
After scrappy 10 minute period the Blues almost doubled their advantage when Sean McConville hit an angled 25-yard effort which Glennon had to be at full stretch to tip over the bar when it looked destined for the top corner. From the resulting corner Craig Hobson glanced a deflected header onto the post.
Halifax then sprung into life and came close to levelling matters but Peniket's effort was hacked over the bar by Touray. Halifax continued to press and attempt to turn the screw but for every good delivery there wasn't a Halifax shirt in sight.
Scott McManus should have levelled the game when he headed over Danny Schofield's cross when unmarked on 80 minutes before Worsnop was called into action to deny Bolton from close range and paw away a looping Boden header that looked destined for the top corner.
But against the run of play it was Chester found the target next when Menagh broke quickly down the right hand side and crossed for Peers to head home his first-ever goal for the club from eight yards out to send the away fans into raptures and secure the three points.
FC Halifax Town: Glennon, M Roberts, K Roberts, McManus, Bolton, Jackson (Marshall 51), Smith (Peniket 46), Schofield, Boden, Maynard, Hatfield (Pearson 71).
Subs: Senior, Williams.
Booked: Bolton, Peniket.
Chester FC: Worsnop, Heneghan, Brown, Charnock, Touray, Menagh, Rooney, James, Hobson (Peers 66), McConville, Richards (Mahon 81).
Subs: C Roberts, Kay, Riley.
Goals: Brown 7, Peers 84.
Booked: Rooney, Touray.
Referee: John Brooks (Melton Mowbray).
Attendance: 1,901.
