Steve Burr had no complaints with the end result but pointed to a sickness bug being a big factor in the Blues 3-0 defeat at Grimsby Town on Saturday.

Gareth Roberts, Craig Hobson and Michael Kay all started the game but had to be replaced and several more were struggling towards the end of the match.

Grimsby took a one-goal lead into the break through Shaun Pearson’s free header on 18 minutes but Chester competed well in the first period at Blundell Park.

Hobson fluffed his lines when left unmarked in the area and Ben Heneghan couldn’t quite connect with a low cross that begged to be smashed into the net.

Burr said afterwards some of his squad had been vomiting during the interval and that would explain the drop off in performance in the second half.

Ross Hannah doubled the Mariners lead on 49 minutes, dispossessing Kingsley James and drilling a low shot past Jon Worsnop.

Hannah should have scored again on 57 minutes from the spot after Kieran Charnock was adjudged to have fouled Jack Mackreth but Worsnop saved his blasted effort.

Mariners keeper James McKeown denied John Rooney and Wayne Riley but the hosts were in command and a got a third in time added on when Mackreth pulled the ball back and substitute Nathan Arnold slotted home.

Burr said: “There is no denying Grimsby deserved to win but we’ve gifted two goals away which doesn’t help.

“We’ve had problems with one or two lads particularly at half-time that were throwing up and being sick so that hasn’t helped out our cause and we’ve lost three influential players for us so I’m a bit disappointed with that.

“I thought first half in particular we played well and had chances to score and should have scored but you know what it’s like, if you don’t take your chances then you rarely get things out of a game.

“We’ve lost key men and sort of lost our way in the second half and let them in too easily but we stuck at it but all in all really they were just too strong for us."

Burr was unhappy with the Mariners opener, which came when central defender Pearson was left unmarked at a corner.

"We spoke about that before the game and you can't allow things like that to happen," said Burr.

"It was unfortunate but apart from that in the first half I didn't think there was anything in and I thought we were probably the better side."

Chester dropped one place in the Vanarama Conference following the loss at Grimsby and are back in action tomorrow evening at AFC Telford United (7.45pm)

Telford are bottom of the table but won for the first time on Saturday, edging Torquay United in a 4-3 thriller.

Burr, who has extended Jadan Hall’s loan from Premier League club Burnley for another month, will be hoping the sickness bug in the squad clears up in time for the trip to the New Bucks Head.

Burr said: “I think circumstances surrounding the squad at half-time was something I’ve not really witnessed before and I just hope they recover in time for Tuesday.

“There’s obviously one or two picked it up during the 45 minutes who were feeling it out there but we can only make three subs and we’ll just have to see how everybody is.”