Both captain Paul Linwood and Lee Pugh saw red as the Blues fell to a desperately dismal 3-0 defeat against Braintree Town.

Neil Young’s side were outplayed, outscored and outmanoeuvred as Braintree forward Charlie Strutton grabbed a brace in the opening ten minutes.

Both goals should have been averted and things went from bad, to worse, to painful as Dean Wells added a third from a corner before Linwood saw red in the second half.

With five minutes left Lee Pugh ensured the Blues finished with nine men after a rash challenge on substitute Luke Daley.

The Blues were coming into the game in North Essex on the back of a solid run of form having gone three games unbeaten.

Defiant draws against league leaders Cambridge and Kidderminster and a vital victory away to Alfreton had given Blues supporters renewed hope of climbing out of the bottom four.

But their hopes were soon dashed when Strutton opened the scoring with a somewhat fortuitous goal in the 6th minute.

Sam Griffiths’ neat back heel found the impressive James Mulley in space on the right side and his low cross found Strutton who squirmed the ball past Danby at the second attempt.

Just a minute later Strutton double the host’s lead after Michael Kay’s lackadaisical defending allowed the forward to beat the offside trap and rifle an effort past the helpless John Danby in goal.

The Blues attempted to impose themselves on the game but they lacked any real attacking intention and invention.

Braintree goalkeeper Nathan McDonald comfortably picked up a long-range effort from Michael Kay, although, Danby’s mammoth free kick from just inside his own half bounced awkwardly in front of McDonald before he clung onto the ball.

15 minutes before half time and centre-back Wells hooked home a third after losing his marker, Kay, on a corner from Dan Sparkes.

The interval brought about a change in personal and with it a change in formation as Neil Young switched from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 as the Blues went in search of a much-needed goal.

But their efforts were scuppered when skipper Paul Linwood saw red as the last man back clearly impeded Strutton just on the edge of the box giving referee Colin Lymer little choice but to send him off just before the hour mark.

The home side were more than happy to sit on their 3-0 advantage and forced more misery on Young’s ailing side when Pugh was sent off for lunging in on Daley late on.

A no doubt demoralised Chester team face Gateshead in the FA Cup next Saturday in what will be a welcome reprieve from the league following this dreadful result.

Braintree Town: McDonald, Griffiths, Habergham, Wells, Massey, Isaac, Paine, Sparkes, Mulley, (Daley) Marks (Cox), Strutton

Subs: Holman, Enver-Marum, Hamann

Booked: Wells

Chester FC: Danby, Kay (Seddon), Horan (Higginbotham), Linwood, Pugh, Harrison, L. Turner, McIntyre, N. Turner, Titchiner (Williams), Reed

Subs: Heath, Mills

Booked: L. Turner, Harrison, N.Turner

Referee: Colin Lymer (Hampshire)

Attendance: 1132