Johnny Hunt thinks Chester FC's inconsistent performances characterise the unpredictable nature of the National League this season.

The Blues find themselves mid-table after 23 games with eight wins, six draws and nine defeats, leaving them nine points outside the play-offs and 12 points above the relegation places.

Chester visit Gateshead, who are one place above them, on Saturday (3pm) to face a team have taken four points off pacesetters Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers, but then lost 4-1 at home to bottom side FC Halifax Town last weekend, leading to manager Malcolm Crosby being sacked.

Hunt said: "Gateshead is always a tough place to go and this league is so close this season because everyone seems to be beating everyone.

"Dover beat Barrow at the weekend, Barrow beat us and everyone's up and down but so long as we don't let those play-off places get further away we'll still be in there then hopefully get one, two wins and then get that other one that can't seem to.

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"We need that consistency and a little bit of luck because I feel like we haven't had that but over the last six or seven games our record isn't too bad.

"We've got tough games now with Gateshead and Cheltenham but if we can take points from then then we'll go into the Christmas period looking good.

"We haven't been consistent enough and I do think it's the same for everyone this season.

"You look at Tranmere losing 4-1 to Woking, who had been on a run of not winning before they played us and then beat us and beat Tranmere.

Johnny Hunt celebrates scoring in the win at home to Halifax with Craig Mahon
Johnny Hunt celebrates scoring in the win at home to Halifax with Craig Mahon

"I've always said that if after Christmas you're 10 to 12 points off the play-offs then you've got a chance.

"If we finish in the top-half then that's an achievement for Chester isn't it? We've all got to be realistic but as long as the play-offs are still there then we've got to keep pushing on."

Left-back Hunt has been an ever-present since arriving from Cambridge United in the summer and the ex-Wrexham man has arguably been the player of the season so far.

However, the 25-year-old was unhappy with his performance in the weekend's 2-1 defeat at home to Woking, a result which was typical of the campaign.

Chester followed that up with a 1-1 draw against Dover Athletic on Tuesday and Liverpool-born Hunt believes that battling display was the kind of response required.

Johnny Hunt in action during the win at Southport in October
Johnny Hunt in action during the win at Southport in October

He said: "The conditions were tough and I think it was a lot worse in the second-half. I thought we were the better team in the first-half and then Dover scored a really good goal to be fair but we did well to get back level.

"In the second-half we spoke about not conceding and taking a chance if we got one so in the end you'd probably be happy with a point.

"I think after Saturday we needed a reaction and we got that. We were disappointing on Saturday and we did well not to let Dover's goal affect us because we could have let our heads go down and gone in 1-0 down and there was no way we were going to score in the second-half as conditions weren't on our side.

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"Alex Whitmore came in and he was brilliant. I said at the end it was one of those games where if we could have won it would have been a brilliant feeling because we felt solid.

"Dover were always going to have chances. They are up there, they are effective and they know how to play so you've got to take your hat off to them.

"I'll hold my hands up because the Woking game was my worst in a Chester shirt but I was happy on Tuesday because I felt more solid and got back into it a little bit."