Steve Burr criticised the Blues defensive failings after the 3-2 defeat at Nuneaton Town, who ended a six game winless run.

For the third game in succession, Chester gave the opposition a two goal head start but this time the attempted comeback fell short.

On the balance of possession and chances, the Blues merited something from the game but the home side had greater hunger in the first half and clung on for the points, thanks in large to goalkeeper Christian Dibble.

A double change at the start of the second half, Ibou Touray and Craig Hobson replacing Gareth Roberts and the disappointing Danny Harrison, turned the game but the manager was left to bemoan another sluggish start.

Burr said: “It’s something that we’ve got to stop doing and it’s happened now in the last three games

“Andy Dibble’s lad has been outstanding in goal and he’s made some crucial saves but defensively we have really got to tighten up and we’re making some basic mistakes at the minute and it’s not helping us.

“We kept going and again I thought we got one at the end there but it wasn’t to be.”

James Armson and Lee Fowler gave Liam Daish’s side control with goals on 20 and 23 minutes but Hobson got one back five minutes into the second half.

Hobson and Rhys Oates went close to equalising but Dibble kept the Blues out and when the hosts got a third on 79 minutes through Marcel Barrington the game looked won.

Hobson got his second with two minutes to go and but for another brilliant Dibble save Oates would have levelled in time added on.

Burr said: “We should have perhaps made it 2-2 just before Nuneaton got the third but I will always throw people forward to get back in the game and if it means leaving one-on-one at the back then we’ll do it, that’s the way I am and I’m not going to change that.

“We nearly got something out of it and I think overall maybe we perhaps deserved something.

“Nuneaton have come on the back of a 5-0 beating and they’d have obviously have an ear bashing off Liam (Daish) so we knew they would come out of the traps pretty quickly but it doesn’t matter who you play in this division you’ve got to be at it.

“I’m not going to blame the goalkeeper or the back four, you defend as a team and we’ve got to do a lot better.

We could have quite easily have made it 3-3 and that’s the one thing about the players and I think that just goes to show how far we have come in a short space of time.

“All the lads turning up and myself, we expect to win and that’s a good thing to have in your dressing room.

“Sometimes it doesn’t always go for you like that but we’re improving which is pleasing me and although we’ve lost there has been some great signs in the squad.”

Star midfielder Kingsley James served a one match suspension and the manager agreed the side missed his presence in the middle of the park.

Burr said: "He gives us that drive in there and way he's been playing you're going to miss someone like him

"We missed Ben Heneghan as well but when these lads are out I want other lads to come in and stake a claim.

"Ben's been missing for a couple of games and he's been doing brilliant for us, and obviously we all know how well Kingsley has been doing and he's a miss for us but they can't help you when they're suspended or injured so it's up to the lads in the squad to go in there and take that baton over."