Caretaker Jon McCarthy isn’t getting carried away after his maiden victory and knows the importance - both to the club and his own chances of becoming Chester FC's next manager - of backing it up this weekend.
McCarthy and club captain Ian Sharps celebrated their first win since replacing the sacked Steve Burr on an interim basis with a resounding 4-0 defeat of Welling United on Saturday.
While the Blues are not quite over the line, bookmakers now rate them as a 100-1 chance to be relegated and a draw at Grimsby Town on Saturday should be enough to banish the threat once and for all.
McCarthy has confirmed he wants the manager’s role permanently and, having quelled some of his doubters with the win against Welling, can further bolster his claims at Blundell Park where the third-placed Mariners need two points to secure a play-off place.
McCarthy said: “It will be tough against Grimsby but we’ll have had another week working on the shape and I want to see that against a good team.
“We knew where Welling were in the table but it could have been a tricky game and the way we managed that and cope that made it quite comfortable in the end.
“That game was really important but I want to see how it works and how players adapt. Last week the focus was very much about us but we will look tactically at what Grimsby do and look to counter that.
IN PICTURES: Action from Chester's 4-0 victory over Welling
“The interesting thing for me now is that with a load of pressure off us Grimsby will be a proper test and if we put in a good performance there and show that we can go there and compete with Grimsby then that’s a great challenge and I’m looking forward to that.
“We’ve had a look at fixtures during the week so there’s a lot of things that are in favour but we will go to Grimsby to go and get some kind of result and make it even more difficult for people.
READ: Jon McCarthy confirms desire to become manager
“It will be nice to put in a good performance but we will go to win and when you see James Alabi and Kane Richards do what they do then you have a chance with that kind of pace and the structure behind it and a work-rate and a determination.
“Obviously we respect that Grimsby are a good team but we might just catch them when they’re setting up and having a little look at the play-offs, who knows.”
McCarthy was Burr’s number two from January 2014 until the dismissal of the ex-Kidderminster Harriers boss earlier this month .
The former Northern Ireland winger has relished the chance to put his own stamp on the team along with Sharps and the 45-year-old has asked fans not to dismiss him as Burr’s number two but to consider him on his own merits.
He said: “I think the perception of me from people who don’t know me and see me or work around me is wrong and all I would ask, and there’s a lot of good candidates out there, just consider me from the right view point
“I’ve enjoyed it and it would be really sad for me now because I feel like I can do this and do it really well.
IN PICTURES: Jon McCarthy's career in football
“There’s stuff I’ve done in my life, and I’m not perfect I’ve made some mistakes, but work-wise I make a success of things and I think if I’m doing this job then I really do believe I can do it well.
“I’m not forcing a decision and not putting pressure on the board because they’ve got big decision to make and I’m okay with it but it would be sad so from that point of vie yes I’d like to have a go.”
