Steve Burr reckons the win at FC Halifax Town has given Chester FC renewed confidence for the New Year's Day game at Altrincham (3pm).

Goals from captain Matty Brown and teenage forward Tom Peers earned the Blues a first win in seven with a 2-0 success at The Shay on Sunday.

An out-of-sorts Chester lost 2-0 at home to Alty on Boxing Day and the manager will want to turn the tables in the return fixture at Moss Lane.

Experienced full-back Gareth Roberts returns from suspension, although might have to settle for a place among the substitutes after Ibou Touray impressed at Halifax.

Jamie Menagh, another to catch the eye on Sunday, looks likely to keep his place having come in for Craig Mahon and Craig Hobson (dead leg) and Jon Worsnop (hamstring) should be fine.

Brown maintained his excellent form with another solid showing against Halifax and Burr feels his side were more like themselves after a few sub-par performances.

Burr said: "I thought Matty and Kieran Charnock were immense at the back for us, Ibby Touray did well at left back and all round the park really the lads worked hard.

"Kingsley James was on his game, he's been a bit off it just lately, and John Rooney and Sean McConville too.

"We made a change because we though Craig (Mahon) needed a bit of a rest because he's gone off form a little bit off the boil so we brought Jamie Menagh in and I was pleased he contributed to the game like he did but I said to him you've got do that on a regular basis.

"That's what this is about: consistency."

Burr has made his first move of the transfer window with an approach for AFC Telford United right-back Ryan Higgins, who joined the Bucks in September.

Higgins is not under contract at New Bucks Head and the Blues boss put in seven days notice of approach for the 22-year-old, who has been offered a new deal by Telford.

Should he decide to switch to Chester, Higgins could be involved in the home game with Braintree Town on Sunday (3pm).

Alty failed to build on their win at the Swanway Chester Stadium and manager Lee Sinnott has demanded his side become more ruthless in 2015.

A 1-0 home defeat to Nuneaton Town, who had previously taken just one point in 13 away matches, on Sunday frustrated the ex-Port Vale boss.

Michael Gash’s second half goal proved the difference between the sides, meaning the Robins have lost seven of nine games against teams below them in the table at kick-off.

“There have been some great performances and great results, but it is frustrating when you look at the imbalance between our points tally against top-half teams and those lower down,” Sinnott told the Sale and Altrincham Messenger.

“You look at the points that have slipped away against teams like Alfreton, Southport, Telford and now Nuneaton, and there should be so much more distance between us and the danger area.

“Consider games in their entirely, and we have created openings against just about every one. That was certainly the case against Nuneaton, and the lesson is, you can’t afford to pass up gilt-edged opportunities.

“They were on a silver platter, but there is merit in the fact that they were there, begging to be taken. They are being created. If someone told me before a game we could have four gilt-edged chances but would concede one scrappy goal, I’d take that every time, because you would expect one or two of ours to be snapped up.

“That’s the one thing we need to remedy, heading into the New Year. We need to develop a ruthless streak to finish teams off when they are at our mercy.”

Sinnott hopes to have captain Shaun Densmore (illness), Simon Richman (flu) and Peter Cavanagh (knee) back after the trio missed the Nuneaton match and will check on James Lawrie, who picked up a knock late on in that game.

Sean Williams and Scott Leather came into the side on Sunday along with leading scorer Damien Reeves, who has 11 league goals so far.

Alty are currently 10 points clear of the relegation places but are heading into a testing period with four games against teams inside the top 10.