Chester FC boss Jon McCarthy will put his search for a new number two on hold until after tomorrow's home match with Southport.

The Blues were dealt a blow on the eve of Saturday's 1-1 lacklustre home draw with Bromley when assistant manager Ian Sharps left to join Walsall.

Chester have already received a number of written applications while McCarthy has been inundated with texts and calls from potential replacements for Sharps.

But the former Northern Ireland international is concentrating all his efforts on the Sandgrounders clash, which will see the return of Steve Burr.

Captain Tom Shaw strokes home his penalty to earn Chester FC a point against Bromley

McCarthy, who took over from Burr in the summer, said: "The club has took in some applications but I probably won't have a look at them until Wednesday.

"I made the decision to go, right, let's do what we can on Saturday, let's make sure we get that right, because it doubles my workload a little bit, and it'll be the same again on Tuesday.

"I'll watch (Southport) games and make sure I get training right and make sure we're set up right for Tuesday.

"And then hopefully we'll get a good result and it will make it that little bit easier.

"I know if we'd have lost (on Saturday) it will have been because we haven't got Ian Sharps. I know how that works.

Jordan Chappell sees a late chance go begging for Chester FC against Bromley

"And, in terms of the performance, I'm sure I heard a few shouts of that.

"We got a draw and if we can get a good result on Tuesday things will move on.

"We've had a lot of managers here, a lot of assistant managers, a lot of players, and this football club is still going despite the good ones going.

"We'll be all right and yet people know what I think about him (Sharps). We had a really strong, professional working relationship.

"I saw what Ian Sharps had and I trust myself when I get the chance to sit down and see the next one."