KEITH Curle will send his Chester City players into tomorrow's derby at Shrewsbury Town with a simple message ringing in their ears: 'Don't ruin my weekend!'

The Blues' manager admitted he was completely despondent after Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw with Bury - so he's demanding an instant response at Gay Meadow tomorrow.

City lost 5-0 at Shrewsbury last season in a match that signalled the beginning of the end for former boss Ian Rush, who parted company with the club just weeks later.

But Curle, who has injected fresh life into Chester this term, is refusing to dwell on the past.

'Right from first day I've walked in here, I've not looked back - and I'm not going to start doing it now,' he said.

'I'm aware of the result from last season but this is a completely different football club now.

'There is a different mentality in the players - even the ones who were here last season.'

Curle says City need to get last Saturday's uncharacteristically lacklustre performance out of their system

'The Bury game ruined my weekend,' he said. 'We got a point but I was happier when we played well against Rochdale and got beat.

'It's a sign of the level of expectation that we've brought on ourselves that people seem downbeat because we drew.

'The performance level was indifferent but it's one indifferent game in 15. 'The players know what they have to do to put it right tomorrow. The match is a derby and it means an awful lot to me, my coaching staff, the chairman and directors - everybody that's in this football club.'

The Blues expect to be cheered on by more than 1,000 travelling fans at Gay Meadow and Curle does not want to disappoint them.

'We'll take a great following and they'll out-sing Shrewsbury,' said the City manager.

Stewart Drummond serves the final game of his three-match ban tomorrow, presenting Curle with a selection dilemma in midfield.

Justin Walker deputised for Drummond against Bury but was replaced for the final half-hour by Stephen Vaughan, who pressed his claims for a starting role with a solid performance.

Curle could even opt to move Ben Davies into the centre and play Abou El Kholti on the left flank.

Striker Gregg Blundell comes back into contention after missing the last three games due to a head injury. Defender Carl Regan was due back in full training yesterday after recovering from a hamstring problem.

Tomorrow's match is not all-ticket so away fans will be able to pay at the turn-stiles.

Midfielder Ben Davies is moving closer to committing his future to the Blues.

The 24-year-old's contract expires this summer but the offer of a two-year deal has been on the table since September.

'It's totally in Ben's hands,' said Keith Curle yesterday.

'It's important when you do contract negotiations to do it face to face and we're waiting for Ben's agent to have an opportunity to come up here and represent his client.'