Tuesday evening's 2-1 victory at Hednesford Town left Chester FC assistant Jon McCarthy feeling extremely satisified.
With boss Steve Burr having to miss the game, ex-Northern Ireland international McCarthy picked up the reins at Keys Park and watched Craig Hobson and Tom Peers give the Blues a well deserved win.
Chester moved the ball around with pace, worked a number of excellent chances and defended well, save for one slip that allowed Ahmed Obeng to cancel out Hobson's opener.
McCarthy said afterwards: "We were good. It was everything I asked for in terms of attitude.
"We sent the first group out and said 'set the tone'. There's going to be times when we'll go to places on a Tuesday night and there might not be as much atmosphere and we want to go and get some points.
"We said to them every time we go out and wear the shirt can we set a certain attitude and a certain tempo and they did: they were outstanding."
After the first-half ended level, McCarthy made eight changes at the break but kept the formation the same and there some good individual performances during the game.
Jordan Chapell, Dale Tonge, Craig Mahon and Kane Richards impressed, and both Hobson and Peers looked comfortable in unfamiliar wide positons.
McCarthy said: "I think that's where Tom will play and I fancy Hobby in a similar position on the other side.
"It gives us an outlet that stretches the game. They both do because they've got some height and they've got some touch.
"At times they are two centre forwards but they don't play down the middle, they play across the pitch and it creates some more space and then if we have somebody in the hole that creates a little pocket there.
"What was really pleasing was that we talked about making the game big and then when we've stretched them, start to play through the middle and they did that as well. It's like we hit them with Plan A and then go to Plan B when they start to defend against Plan A and then we go back.
"In the second-half I put Tom Peers, George Thomson, Kane Richards, Craig Mahon and Sam Hughes behind them and they carried on doing it.
"Kane Richards was a threat again and he just needs that one to go in for him to take him through in terms of confidcnece. Tom Peers scored with a great strike, George looked bright and Mahony set the goal up.
"Our first two games we knew were tough games but then we had three where we felt like we want to win them.
"The gaffer couldn't be here but we've gone and won the game and I can report back just how well we've done. I'm delighted with that and I can't wait to give him a ring and tell him how everything has gone.
"Now we go to Stalybridge and I want that third win. If I see as much improvement again then we're close to where we want to be going into the two bigger games with a couple of weeks left."
