Sean McConville came off the bench to score twice as Chester FC came back from 3-1 down to beat Nuneaton Town 5-3 and end the 2014-15 season with a thrilling win and inside the top half.

Up until the back end of the first period, this game felt like your typical end of season encounter with little at stake for either side but the contest came alive in the final half-hour with the Blues scoring four unanswered goals to finish the campaign with three straight victories.

Andy Brown and Gavin Cowan put relegated Boro in command before Oliver McBurnie marked the end of his loan spell with a goal to make the score 2-1 to the visitors at the break.

Nuneaton made a perfect start to the second-half as Josh Rees made it 3-1 but then the Blues kicked into life with Kingsley James, on what could be his final appearance, getting the ball rolling before two from McConville and one from George Thomson ensured a season that began with them shipping five goals ended with them scoring five.

Prior to the game, the Blues announced Craig Hobson and John Rooney had signed new 12-month deals.

Both started in a team showing two changes from the 1-0 win at Aldershot Town with Kingsley James replacing Brad Abbott and Ben Heneghan coming in for Michael Kay.

It had been a rotten season for relegated Nuneaton, whose fate had been sealed a couple of weeks earlier.

Results did improve when Liam Daish arrived but the damage had been done in the summer when his predecessor assembled a squad the ex-Coventry City defender called 'dross'.

Daish made two changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Woking as Andy Brown and Ryan Smith replaced Elliot Wheeler and Jack Nardiello.

Chester took just four minutes to test Max Crocombe in the Nuneaton goal, the keeper getting down well at his near post to turn Rooney's attempt behind.

Boro responded with a golden chance in the seventh minute for Jaanai Gordon, who broke through on goal but failed to beat the onrushing Jon Worsnop.

Lucas Dawson crashed a volley wide of the post from 25 yards and Oliver McBurnie got the ball stuck between his feet when well placed but that was the best action in a quiet start.

Nuneaton threatened on the break a couple of times before getting the opening goal on 20 minutes. Chester gave up possession, Gordon whipped an excellent cross to the far post, where Andy Brown poked home.

Boro deserved to be in front and, not long after Rooney's chip dropped wide of Crocombe's right-hand post, went 2-0 up in the 28th minute.

Lucas Dawson's corner beat everyone except the unmarked Gavin Cowan and the big defender nodded the ball over the line from close range.

Chester offered almost nothing in return and the crowd was entitled to think the demonstration of walking football planned for the half-time break had started earlier than advertised.

Nuneaton seemed content to protect the lead and the Blues eventually made inroads with James having a shot deflected behind from 12 yards and McBurnie heading Rooney's corner wide under pressure.

With the half almost up, the Blues did get one back as Rooney swung over a free kick and McBurnie planted his header past the diving Crocombe and into the bottom corner.

Hopes that goal would be the catalyst for a second-half comeback didn't last long.

Nuneaton went 3-1 up just two minutes after the restart as a short corner found Josh Rees, who had the freedom to pick his spot and curl the ball past the watching Worsnop from 25 yards.

The goal sucked the life out of the game for the next 10 minutes although Craig Mahon tries his hardest to get the Blues going, drilling a low cross into the danger zone before having a shot blocked.

Brown got free of the defence at the other end but poked wide and Chester pulled another goal back on 62 minutes.

Onome Sodje passed straight to Matty Hughes and he carried the ball 30 yards before rolling in James, who finished well from a tight angle.

Hobson stung Crocombe's palms with a fizzing shot before Sean McConville and George Thomson replaced Mahon and McBurnie as the hosts chased an equaliser.

It didn't take long to arrived as on 69 minutes a neat passing move involving Rooney, James and Gareth Roberts ended with the latter finding McConville, who slotted the ball into the far corner of the net to level the game.

Six minutes later and the Blues took the lead for the first time as a corner was aimed towards Heneghan and the ball found McConville, who stabbed home from close range.

There was still time for one more goal as on 84 minutes Thomson, whose cameo underlined his potential, danced between defenders before slamming a shot past Crocombe to make the final score 5-3.

Chester FC: Worsnop (Viscosi 86), Higgins, Heneghan, Charnock, Roberts, Mahon (McConville 63), James, Rooney, Hughes, McBurnie (Thomson 66) Hobson.

Subs: Peers, Touray.

Goal: McBurnie 44, James 62, McConville 69 and 75, Thomson 84.

Nuneaton Town: Crocombe, Smith, Cowan (Brown 63), Dean, Franklin, Dawson, Ogelby (Walker 67), Rees, Gordon, Brown, Sodje (Nardiello 76).

Subs: Wrenn.

Goals: Brown 20, Cowan 28, Rees 47.

Booked: Dawson, Brown.

Referee: Karl Evans (Wigan).

Attendance: 2,614.