Alex Whitmore recognises it will require a huge effort from Chester FC to gain a positive result at Cheltenham Town but the on-loan defender insists it can be done.

Whitmore, who is on a month's loan from Championship club Burnley, made his second appearance in the weekend's 1-0 defeat at Gateshead .

The Newcastle native had an unhappy return to the north east as it was his own goal on 82 minutes that gave the Heed the three points.

Up next for the Blues is a trip to National League leaders Cheltenham but 21-year-old Whitmore isn't ruling out a surprise result at Whaddon Road.

Read: Alex Whitmore wants loan spell to deliver improvement for him and Blues

He said: "Cheltenham are top and doing well this season so it's going to take everything to get something down there but I've got no doubt that we can bounce back and hopefully pick up some points down there.

"Of course was disappointing to to go all the way to Gateshead and come away with nothing especially after being level for so long.

"I think we had our chances to win the game but unfortunately as far as football goes, if you don't take them then you don't win the game.

Alex Whitmore watches on as Jon Worsnop claims the ball under pressure from Ryan Bowman
Alex Whitmore watches on as Jon Worsnop claims the ball under pressure from Ryan Bowman

"For their goal the ball came through two sets of legs and I've seen it last minute and it's just sort of hit my leg and gone in.

"It's just one of those things and it's unlucky but at the end of the day if we're 2-0 up before that then it's not a problem. If you don't take your chances, you don't win the game. That's the moral of the story.

"There weren't that many chances at either end nd neither team was really on top so i think a draw would have been a fair and respectable result.

Read: Burnley defender Alex Whitmore moves to Chester on loan

"Tom Shaw had a chance and Danny Hattersley had one at the end with a header. On another day they go in and maybe it wasn't our day but we'll go again next week, go to Cheltenham and see what we can do there.

"The league's very tight, there's not much leeway and nobody's really running away with it so every point counts and hopefully we can go to Cheltenham and pick something up."

With suspension ruling out Ben Heneghan, captain Ian Sharps is expected to be recalled to partner Whitmore in central defence to face the Robins, who are one point ahead of second-placed Forest Green Rovers.