Thank goodness for Chester FC s away form.

The Blues suffered a sixth home defeat on the bounce as goals from Vadaine Oliver and Danny Holmes bagged York City a vital three points in their quest for survival.

Chester were dire and little credit can be afforded to many of the starting line-up as they produced a performance that was void of any imagination and severely lacking in quality. They deserved to be on the wrong end of this result.

York arrived at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium in dire need of maximum points in their bid lift themselves out of the drop zone after suffering a disappointing 2-0 home loss to Bromley on Tuesday.

Chester had all but secured their National League safety for another season seven days previous when they won 1-0 at struggling Torquay United, and Blues boss Jon McCarthy made three changes to the side that won in Devon with Elliott Durrell, Tom Shaw and Matty Waters replacing Kane Richards, Wade Joyce and Evan Horwood.

York looked up for the contest from the start, although Durrell did see a first-minute effort flash just past Scott Loach’s right-hand post.

Amari Morgan-Smith, Jon Parkin and Vadaine Oliver were causing plenty of headaches for the Blues going forward and Morgan-Smith saw his 11th-minute snap shot fly just wide of Alex Lynch’s goal after good work from Parkin.

Lynch had to be alert to hold a Danny Holmes effort from 25 yards after Simon Heslop’s effort was blocked on the edge of the area on 15 minutes as York, buoyed by a vocal away support, looked to turn the screw.

Sam Hughes nodded wide at the other end after connecting with a inswinging Durrell free kick from the left but Chester were failing to ignite.

Profligate in possession and playing with little width, hopeful balls to a lonely-looking James Alabi were the order of the day for much of the first half.

And it was little surprise when York took the lead. Morgan-Smith played a delightful through ball to Oliver who rode a challenge and skipped past Lynch and slid into an empty net on 25 minutes.

The setback didn’t jolt Chester into life, though, and York looked threatening on every foray into the Blues half.

A rare chance came for the Blues when Ryan Lloyd played in Durrell who advanced with a clear run at goal but saw his low effort smothered well by Loach.

Parkin almost doubled the lead for the Minstermen on 41 minutes when he rolled back the years and connected with a volley from 30 yards that had Lynch stranded but it cannoned off the post and out to safety.

And York wasted a great chance just before half-time when they caught Chester on the break. A long punt forward wasn’t watched well enough by last man Johnny Hunt and Morgan-Smith brushed him aside only to be denied superbly by Lynch when one on one.

The second half started in a similar vein with the visitors being the aggressors.

York weren’t looking troubled at the back and were limiting Chester to having to try their luck from range and Dawson saw a low, well-struck 30-yarder fly just wide on 55 minutes.

York almost made it 2-0 two minutes later after a delightful passage of play. Morgan-Smith and Parkin played a neat one-two and the former curled an effort beyond Lynch from 16 yards that hit the outside of the post and bounced out to safety.

At the other end Chester had their best move of the match when Tom Shaw played in Hunt who raced into the area, one-on-one with Loach, but he was denied by a stunning last-ditch tackle from Holmes, a tackle that saw his team-mates rush to congratulate him.

McCarthy opted to make a triple substitution on 65 minutes, bringing on Theo Vassell, Richards and Luke George for Dawson, Hudson and Hunt.

Little changed, though, and York continued to dominate and Simon Heslop saw an effort from 20 yards flash just over.

Chester were lethargic and lacking in imagination across the pitch and it came as no surprise to see the Minstermen make it 2-0 with 15 minutes remaining.

The Blues defence were all at sea when dealing with heavy York pressure and Parkin knocked down a high ball and Holmes was on hand to thunder home a half-volley from 12 yards to send the away fans delirious and start a chorus of boos among some of the home congregation.

Chester continued to frustrate their fans and never looked like finding a way back into the contest. York looked comfortable and Lynch produced a good save to paw away a Morgan-Smith effort from distance with 10 minutes left.

The final whistle couldn’t come soon enough and the Blues were finally put out of their misery as York gave their survival hopes a shot in the arm as things tightened up at the bottom of the National League.

MATCH FILE

Chester: Lynch, Hughes, Astles, Hudson (Vassell 65), Hunt (George 65), Durrell, Shaw, Lloyd, Waters, Dawson (Richards 65), Alabi. Subs not used: Roberts, Joyce.

Bookings: Dawson, Shaw.

York: Loach, Whittle, Heslop, Hall, Oliver, Morgan-Smith (Moke 89), Newton, Holmes, Parslow, Bencherif, Parkin. Subs not used: Fenwick, Rooney, Connolly, Muggleton.

Goals: Oliver 25, Holmes 76.

Attendance: 2,235.

Referee: David Rock.

Star man: Alex Lynch made a couple of key saves and was the only player to emerge with any real credit from a very poor team display.