In-form midfielder John Rooney always felt Chester FC were in control of the game following the 2-1 victory at Grimsby Town.
Few gave the Blues much chance of getting the win needed to secure their National League status with the Mariners themselves requiring the points to guarantee a play-off place.
But the third-placed hosts were outworked and out-thought as Chester clinched a deserved success as Rooney put them ahead with his fifth goal in five games before providing the assist for Ryan Astles to head in the second and although Craig Disley halved the deficit in the closing stages, the visitors held on.
LISTEN: John Rooney discusses the win over Grimsby Town
Rooney said afterwards: "We talked about it before the game that if we get the three points we're definitely secured for next season in this league and we went out there and got the three points.
"We would have been happy coming here usually getting a point but to come and take all three points from Grimsby who need a point to guarantee play-offs then it's a good result for the lads.
"We knew out there that we were always in control because we kept our shape well and they were getting a bit frustrated, the fans were getting on their back and we knew that if we come out second-half and started bright and put them on the back foot the fans would get on them and that's what happened. We had a few chances and probably have scored a few more on another day."
Rooney found himself out of favour in March under former manager Steve Burr but since returning to the side the 25-year-old has been central to the club's getting themselves out of trouble.
He netted a brace in the 4-0 win over Welling United in the previous game and followed that up with the opener against Grimsby, bringing down a cross from Jordan Chapell and curling a shot into the bottom corner when most might have been tempted into hitting the ball first time.
"It come to me and I could have hit first time but I saw the lad and he was coming across at quite a quick pace so I knew if my touch was right he wouldn't be able to turn and get back his feet," said Rooney, who puts Chester's back-to-back wins down to the input from caretaker manager Jon McCarthy and club captain Ian Sharps.
READ: Jim Green's verdict on the 2-1 win at Blundell Park
"The touch has fell perfect for me and the goal was a good finish and it was one of those things and I was delighted to score.
"I've scored a few goals in the last few games and obviously got a few assists but it's just one of those things and playing since Macca has took over we've worked on a shape constantly and we've stuck with that shape and to be fair we look solid, everyone knows their job and we've worked on it everyday.
IN PICTURES: Action from Chester's victory at Blundell Park
"With Sharpy and Macca they are on us all the time, even when we do good stuff they'll talking to us about what we're not doing, and after this game they'll look at stuff that we've done wrong like when we went two up I thought we lost our shape a little bit like they said in the changing rooms. That's stuff we'll work on and we'll go Monday and look at that as well.
"We've went 4-4-2 in the last couple of games and we look solid, we look hard to breakdown and teams are struggling to score past us and that goal was sloppy to be fair but it was one of them things that happens but other than that they've had minimum chances for a top team at this level."
