Chester FC manager Steve Burr described the first 45 minutes of the record-breaking victory over Aldershot Town midweek as the finest display he has witnessed from one of his teams.
The Blues scored eight goals – six of them before half-time – in one of the most exhilarating performances in living memory as the visitors were humiliated 8-2.
It was the club’s biggest league win under supporter ownership and the first time Chester had scored eight goals in a league fixture for more than 30 years.
But perhaps more importantly in the context of the current season, in which a run of two wins from 15 matches had seen them plummet down the table, the night when the Blues had the Midas touch took them eight points clear of the National League’s bottom four with 10 games remaining.
“It was a great achievement and I said to the lads that in all my time managing teams that’s as good as I’ve seen,” said Burr.
“I’ve had a few big results but that first-half performance was pretty awesome.
“Through these disappointing results, the one thing both myself and Jon [McCarthy, assistant manager] know is that these lads have been 100% behind us and working hard in training.
“We see a lot of the stuff we saw on Tuesday night in training. I said to them ‘look you’ve got to replicate that into the league games’.
In pictures: Action from Chester's 8-2 demolition of Aldershot
“It’s a terrific club and the fans came on Tuesday and supported us and got behind us, and I think there was only a couple moaning that we conceded two.
“The fans have had a right to moan at the performances because they expect better. I expect better and sometimes it doesn’t work out like that but we’ll keep working away and doing our best to keep this club in this division.
“I want more than that but at the minute that just seems to be where we’re at to keep ourselves halfway or above halfway.
Read: Jim Green's verdict on Chester's 8-2 win against Aldershot
“You know what I’ve been like over these past few weeks and months with the results. It’s not been good and I don’t like it but you keep working and you work harder to put it right.
“I know we sent people away happy on Tuesday because they’ll have loved it but it’s important now that we get those three or wins that we need and I think we’ll be safe."
James Alabi grabbed the headlines and the matchball after netting four times in the first-half with top scorer Ross Hannah getting a brace and teenager Sam Hughes adding to his growing reputation with a double.
“I was pleased at last that the work we’ve put in on the training ground with set-pieces showed with Sam Hughes scoring and it was one of those nights where everything went right for us,” said Burr, who has urged Alabi to find greater consistency ahead of a tough trip to big-spending Eastleigh on Saturday (3pm).
“I was delighted with James and I spoke with him before the game because I felt we needed more from him when he hasn’t got the ball. I know he’s capabilities when he has got the ball like he showed on Tuesday and that’s the benchmark now and that needs to be more consistent.”
