With just one defeat in 16 National League games and his side sitting eight points off the play-off places, Chester FC boss Jon McCarthy isn't getting carried away.

The Blues have exceeded expectations thus far and, having endured a tough start to the campaign initially, have made plenty sit up and take notice of the work being done at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium.

But despite having the highest number of clean sheets of any side in the top five divisions of English football , and being the sixth highest scorers in the National League, McCarthy is keen to temper expectations and not lose sight of their initial targets and where they are at as a part-time, fan-owned football club.

"Nobody expected this group to be where they are at the moment and to have gathered so many points," said the Chester boss.

"Now it's about keeping pushing because I'm aware how quickly you can end up in a dip. The target is 50 points. I know that might not seem so ambitious but it is.

"That was the target I was set by the board and I think the fans will accept that but they might start to change their mind and raise expectations now, but that's what they've said."

Despite a limited budget and having to contend with a series of injury and suspension woes, not to mention losing an assistant manager and a chairman, McCarthy has managed to keep this young Blues squad on course.

And while the Chester boss is not one to make a fuss of budgets and make excuses, the current trajectory of the club on the field is wholly unexpected given the financial muscle of so many others in a now super-competitive National League.

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The highest points total Chester have had since arriving back at non-league football's top table in 2013 has been 63, a figure achieved under Steve Burr with McCarthy as his number two in 2014/15, where the Blues finish 12th.

Topping that would be a fine achievement for this Blues side but McCarthy is keeping his focus on 50 points target first and foremost and avoiding the relegation worries that dogged Chester post Christmas until the former Northern Ireland international succeeded Burr on a then temporary basis to steer them to safety - but that doesn't mean that the play-offs and returning the Blues to the Football League are pipe dreams.

"The quicker we get that then we can start to assess things and look at things like the most points we've ever had in this division, which is 64," said the Blues boss.

"And if we can go through that, it's not me saying, that we will get to the play-offs or if we have a chance to be in the mix, when I look at other teams around there, but it's to be bridging that gap, so as a football club, we can go, 'right, that's the model, that's what's worked to get us this far, and I want us to be closer to that dream of being toward the play-offs and with that chance of getting back into the League.

"We'll learn a lot along the way and find out how points we are short at the end of this season of reaching that 78-80 points, which should get you in the play-offs, and then we can look at it and go, 'right, what do we need as club to bridge that gap'."

McCarthy takes his Chester side to Yorkshire on Saturday for a National League clash with third-bottom Guiseley at Nethermoor (3pm).