CHESTER’S lead at the top now stands at 11 points after they swept aside rock-bottom Burscough with two goals in each half.

Antoni Sarcevic and Christian Smith set Neil Young’s side on their way before Chris Simm and Iain Howard sealed what was a routine but potentially decisive victory in the title race.

The only sour note of the night for the Exacta Stadium faithful came when Matty McNeil went off early on with a knee ligament injury which is likely to rule him out for two weeks.

But the Blues made light of the loss of their key striker to effectively end the match as a contest with two goals inside the first 23 minutes.

McNeil’s lively replacement Marc Williams had already had an effort cleared off the line before Sarcevic opened the scoring in the 14th minute.

A long Matty McGinn throw found its way to the back post where the former Crewe Alexandra winger arrived on cue to hammer home his fourth goal of the season.

Simm had the chance to double the advantage five minutes later when he latched on to a wonderfully threaded through pass from Williams.

But the striker could only shoot straight into Craig Ellison’s legs.

Simm passed up an even better opportunity later in the half after Joe Camozzi played an under-hit back pass straight into his path.

The busy Burscough goalkeeper also saved from Sarcevic after some delightful build-up play involving Alex Brown.

But Ellison was beaten for the second time in the 23rd minute.

Smith’s break from the middle of the park was spotted by Wes Baynes who, deep inside his own half, showed sublime vision to play a long, raking pass over the top that cut the Linnets defence in two.

Smith timed his run to perfection and looped a header over the onrushing Ellison for his second goal in as many games and his fifth of the campaign.

The hosts did not play with the same tempo after the break and only Matt Glennon, who saved from Matt Parry, and the woodwork, which denied Phil Clarke, prevented Burscough from getting the consolation their efforts deserved.

But Chester still added two further goals, the first of which came from Simm in the 68th minute.

The striker made up for his first-half misses by rifling a low 15-yard strike through Ellison’s legs after he reacted quickest to a knockdown.

It was left up to substitute Howard to complete the scoring in the 88th minute with his 10th and most fortuitous goal of the season.

Sarcevic set off on a solo run which ended with him firing a shot across the six-yard box that hit Howard and crossed the line.

Chester: Glennon, Baynes, Horan, Taylor, McGinn, Sarcevic, Brown (Powell 73), Smith, Wright (Howard 55), Simm, McNeil (M Williams 9). Subs: Cox, Brownhill.

Booked: Smith.

Goals: Sarcevic 14, Smith 23, Simm 68, Howard 88.

Burscough: Ellison, Camozzi, Barnett, Murphy, Whitcombe, Tyson (Brookfield 81), Clarke (Williams 81), Parry, Glover, Gornell, (Burey 68), Jones. Subs: Quirk, Horn.

Referee: Alan Clayton (Hyde).

Attendance: 2,527.