Carl Macauley conceded the Blues were their own worst enemy in the nerve-shredding 3-2 home win against Hyde on Saturday.
Gareth Seddon, a calamitous Josh Brizell own goal and Craig Hobson put them in control before the relegated Tigers came frighteningly close to snatching something from the game.
Matty Brown was sent off for throwing the ball inbetween two fine Liam Blakeman free kicks to leave the Blues clinging on in the closing stages.
After the game, assistant manager Macauley was delighted to hold for the win but said the near capitulation was self inflicted.
He said: "I thought we had full control of the game and I thought we were doing things well.
"We happened to give too many silly free kicks away and with that they get two good strikes from set pieces which get them back into the game.
"We got ourselves another silly sending off which hasn't helped us and from then onwards everyone gets anxious and the game kind of goes in their favour."
Macauley had no complaints over the red card referee Ben Toner produced after on-loan defender Brown threw the ball during a melee.
"If you're going to go throwing footballs at people then the laws of the game tell you that you have got to go off the pitch," said the ex-Vauxhall Motors boss.
"It'll be a three game ban because it's violent conduct. Matty is the type of player that we want and need for the next game.
"Obviously we're not going to have him for the next game. It's important that he learns off that mistake and he comes back stronger.
"It was really tough but the lads dug in deep with 10 men, we got bodies behind the ball and we made it difficult at times, although there were quite a few scares.
"But we've managed to get three points which I think everyone in the stadium is glad that we got."
Chester took the lead on 15 minutes when Seddon escaped Tigers defender Alex McQuade and sent an exquisite lob over keeper Chris Kettings.
Confidence began to flow through the side after that goal and the Blues went two up nine minutes later when Hyde defender Josh Brizell headed past his own keeper.
Hardworking forward Craig Hobson looked to have sealed the win five minutes into the second half with a powerful header.
Macaulay said: "Gareth's was a difficult one but he's took it really well and that sets the tempo of the game for us.
"Then we got that little bit of luck for the second and the third one is a great set piece off John Rooney
"It was a great delivery and I was delighted for Craig Hobson to get across his man, get his reward and get that goal that we all wanted to control the game."
But rather than seeing out the win, the Blues allowed the visitors back into the game with Blakeman firing home two free kicks from near identical positions to leave the hosts hanging on.
Macauley said: "I think if you deal with the first part and don't give cheap free kicks away they will never reach that point, but we didn't and that's a lesson that we've got to learn.
"They have scored two set pieces and they probably could have got a goal at the end but we've made it difficult and got the three points that we really wanted."
Manager Steve Burr brought on full back Andy Griffin for the final 25 minutes and the 35-year-old added a much-needed cool head on his first appearance.
Macauley said: "He's been around, he's been there and he's done it and that lent to our younger players
"Instead of just getting the ball up there, we needed to be able to retain the ball, we needed to keep the ball and he did it.
"We definitely needed that sensible head on the pitch at that time and he helped us out.
"There were nerves from the bench, from the staff and from the players but in the end we got the three points and that's what matters."
