Criminal defending from two first-half corners consigned Chester FC to a grim 2-0 defeat at Braintree Town and made it five league games without a win.

The state of the Cressing Road pitch meant this was a dour contest with a distinct lack of quality on show and on balance there wasn't that much between the sides.

Jordan Chapell and Johnny Hunt had decent chances for the Blues but the game hinged on Chester's failure to deal with two set-pieces as Mark Phillips and Matt Paine put the hosts in charge at the turnaround.

Not for the first time this season, the Blues gave themselves a mountain to climb and one that proved too much to scale in a dire second-half.

Chester went behind on 11 minutes when Dan Sparkes fired a low corner to the near post and Mark Phillips exposed poor defending to poke the ball past Worsnop.

Craig Mahon had a shot blocked and Jordan Chapell stung home keeper Michael Crowe's palms as the visitors tried to mount a response.

The Iron got a second on 35 minutes as Chester's failure to deal with set-pieces cost them again.

Sparkes aimed a corner for Remy Clerima after the Blues passed up two chances to clear the ball found Matt Paine, who thumped a shot into the roof of the net to give the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break.

Burr made a change for the second-half with Jason Gilchrist replacing Chapell and, with no real change in the patter of the game, another soon after when Sam Hughes came on for Craig Mahon.

Worsnop made routine saves from Alex Woodyard and Marks with neither side creating much and the best the Blues could muster a close range header from Ross Hannah that Crowe claimed with ease.

Chester did fashion a clear chance with 20 minutes to go when Gilchrist got in behind and pulled the ball back to Johnny Hunt but Crowe did well to block his shot.

That was a close as the visitors came with substitute Taylor Miles crashing a shot over for the Iron, who closed the game out to keep themselves in the play-off hunt and the Blues still searching for a league win in 2016.

Talking points

Defending set-pieces: You can analyse performances as much as you like but if you defend free-kicks and corners in the manner the Blues did here then you don't have to look far for the reasons for defeat. Both goals were extremely preventable and unfortunately Chester have developed a habit of conceding from set-pieces and particularly when a chance to clear the ball has been passed up. It's something that needs addressing and fast.

Match facts

Chester FC: Worsnop, Higgins, Heneghan, Astles, Hunt, Mahon (Hughes 55), George, Rooney, Chapell (Gilchrist 46), Hannah, Alabi (Shaw 74).

Subs: Thompson, Sharps.

Booked: Heneghan, Hannah.

Braintree: Crowe, Clerima, Phillips, Fry, Habergham, Woodyard, Paine, Davis (Issac 68), Sparkes (Miles 76), Akinola, Marks (Cheek 63).

Subs: Edgar, Anderson.

Goals: Phillips 11, Paine 35.

Referee: Nigel Lugg (Surrey).

Attendance: 727.

Star man: Johnny Hunt.