CHESTER'S vital wins against League Two strugglers Rushden & Diamonds and Kidderminster have become even more valuable as defeats by Yeovil and Grimsby have quickly followed.
The loss to the League Two leaders wasn't unexpected and probably won't be significant at the end of the season.
But the game confirmed how much City have to do to reach the standards being set by their former Conference rivals who looked a class apart in the first half and then did just enough to prevent a City fightback after the break.
City's defeat to a late goal at Blundell Park, on Tuesday, merely underlined how much the lack of a goalscorer is costing them.
Having had the best of the game in terms of possession they should have been expected to return, through the snow, with at least a point to show for their efforts, but, in fact, a goal never looked like coming.
There was some controversy about two penalty decisions against Yeovil, neither of which went City's way, but Yeovil were certainly worthy winners and to lose to them at this stage of Chester's integration back into the Football League was no dis-grace.
All Chester's best scoring efforts in the second half came from the new recruit Robbie Foy, but again the lack of a cutting edge gave Yeovil the confidence to cruise to victory.
City were no better or worse at Grimsby who were not in Yeovil's class and could have been there for the taking if Chester had a marksman like Kevin Ellison in their line-up.
Foy showed some glimpses of quality in both games and is crying out for a big man to play off.
Unfortunately, particularly against Grimsby, City lacked the guile in midfield to go with the industry and hard work of Paul Carden and Ben Davies.
The jury is still out on new signing Ashley Sestanovich until he has much-needed match fitness, but he has already proved he can pass the ball.
Ian Rush will be concerned that his defence continues to leak goals because of lapses in concentration, so there is still plenty of work to be done before City can assume they are in the comfort zone.
