SIMON Davies admitted his Blues players “never got out of the blocks” on Saturday as their proud unbeaten run was shattered by Lincoln City.

The Chester boss was stunned to see his team go down to their first defeat since August 23 as the Imps netted a goal in each half to win 2-0.

Davies rejected any suggestion that the Blues had been unlucky.

“It was nothing to do with luck,” he said. “We never started, we never got out of the blocks. We spoke about it before the game and we felt we had a real good chance.

“We were well capable of winning that game and we didn’t do ourselves justice at all. We played well below par.”

The new League Two season may be only nine games old, but Davies reckons Chester have already reached a crucial point in the campaign. He challenged his players to make sure the Lincoln defeat was only a one-off.

“They’re right in the middle there. They’re on nine points and they have got to decide what sort of season they want,” said Davies. “We could have a similar one to last season in terms of looking over your shoulder all the time, or we’ve got the quality to do something this season. We’re at the stage now where it is critical but I’ll keep working.”

Davies felt his players failed to stand up to be counted against the Imps, who ensured boss Peter Jackson enjoyed a happy return to the Deva Stadium. The former Blues defender was back on his old stomping ground for the first time since undergoing successful treatment for throat cancer. He received a standing ovation from home fans before kick-off.

But while Jackson could be satisfied with his team’s efforts, Davies cut a frustrated figure on the touchline.

He said: “There were just too many who didn’t approach the game in the manner that I would have expected. You can’t just turn it on and off like that. We found it difficult to get a foothold in the game.

“Their first goal summed up the day. Everyone was expecting someone else to do the job instead of grabbing it by the scruff of the neck and dictating play themselves.

“That seemed to be the order of the day – where we expected someone else to do it.”

The Chester boss added: “It’s easy to blame an official or blame the opposition. If we’re being honest, our performance wasn’t up to scratch.”