Old guard are standing firm

With a combined age of 133, the back four of Kevin McIntyre, Andy Griffin, George Horan and Paul Linwood are the Blues very own Dad's Army.

All four were excellent at the Abbey Stadium, although injuries meant Griffin and Horan did not see out the full game.

Linwood, the baby of the bunch at 30, followed up his solid showing against Wrexham with a man of the match performance that included another brilliant block.

McIntyre too had an excellent Easter after what has been a disappointing stop-start season for the 36-year-old.

He was a big favourite in his first spell with the club but the rigours of 400 plus games in the Football League looked to have left little in the tank.

But he really stepped up to the mark against Cambridge United and his desire, will to win and passion remains as strong as ever.

Griffin took the man of the match award in the Wrexham game and has shown some real class in his handful of appearances, especially given his lack of competitive action.

He came off with a hamstring tweak on Monday but hopefully a couple of days rest will help him recover in time for the weekend.

Horan must be rated as a bigger doubt but with Luke Ashworth deputising well, and Michael Kay and Matty Brown back from bans, there are no shortage of replacements.

Back-to-back clean sheets must be viewed as a huge positive and a third on Saturday will be very welcome.

Jamie Menagh seized his chance

I was a tad surprised to see Jamie Menagh get the nod over Craig Mahon to start but Steve Burr got it absolutely spot on.

Only once have both Menagh and Mahon been included in the starting side, perhaps an indication the pair are viewed as too similar.

But having two direct wingers on the books has worked well because the manager has been able them to interchange them effectively.

Fielding Menagh on the left freed up John Rooney to operate behind Danny Carlton and the attacking midfielder looked far more comfortable centrally.

Menagh was the Blues best outlet in the second half and linked up well with Kevin McIntyre time and time again. He kept the ball well, looked to get past defenders when possible and should probably have done a little better with a couple of half chances.

He's a player who seems to thrive on confidence and he looked to be full of energy on Monday, something he will hopefully take into the final game.

Menagh was the hero in the televised win over FC Halifax Town and you wouldn't bet against a repeat with the cameras there once again.

Taking greater care paid off handsomely

After the loss at Grimsby Town, I suggested the Blues had hurt themselves with a timid start and a lack of care when in possession.

Steve Burr's side were much, much better on both counts on Saturday.

Chester came out of the blocks quicker and rather than falling behind early on and having to chase the game, got the early goal and put the pressure right on the Us.

From the off it was evident the Blues were bang up for the game, working hard to put Cambridge under pressure and win the ball back.

Once possession had been gained, the Blues took care of the ball exactly as the manager had been urging them to do over the past few weeks.

Short, simple passes kept things moving and brought Cambridge forward then, when the opportunity presented itself, a more incisive pass could be picked.

Keeping hold of the ball relieves a bit of the pressure and there was a lot to like about the way the Blues swept the ball around on the luscious Abbey Stadium surface.

Of course there were still a few passes that went awry as will happen at this level but these were the exception rather than the rule.