A season that has been utter torture is almost at an end. That is the only consolation we can take.

Against a team who had the same miserable record in the National League as them, a team who will also head through the trapdoor at the end of this campaign, Chester FC put in a turgid display that was utterly dreadful against a poor Torquay United side who still managed to ease this at a canter.

Goals from Rhys Healey and Elliott Romain ensured the three points for Gary Owers’ men - and they barely had to break a sweat in the second half, especially after Lucas Dawson saw red for two yellow cards for two petulant challenges.

And the long-suffering Blues fans were streaming for the exits long before the final whistle after a game littered with sub-standard performances from senior players who really should be ashamed.

Marcus Bignot made three changes to the side that lost 3-2 at Sutton United on Saturday. In came Lucas Dawson, Craig Mahon and Lathaniel Rowe-Turner to the starting line-up in place of Dominic Vose, Tom Crawford and Myles Anderson, and there was first place in the 16 for recent addition Karl Cunningham.

And the Gulls line was led by Cardiff City loanee Healey, formerly of Connah’s Quay Nomads, who used to come and watch the Blues with his Chester-based father when he was a child.

In the week Healey had spoken about how he used to dream about playing at the Deva - and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact and realise that ambition.

Just three minutes were on the clock when a long ball forward found the Chester defence snoozing and Healey onside on the right hand side of the box. And he picked up the ball and advanced before lashing a powerful effort that beat easily beat Andy Firth at his near post before bristling the net.

It was not the start Bignot had planned.

The Blues managed to compose themselves and rallied in the minutes that followed, with Gary Roberts providing endeavour in the centre of the parl.

But while Torquay looked suspect defensively Chester weren’t able to probe and ask enough questions and it was the Gulls who came closest at the other end when Conrad Balatoni headed over an Elliot Romain corner on 10 minutes.

Healey was proving central to everything positive offered up by Torquay and it needed a fine last-ditch challenge from James Jones to deny him from adding to his tally after a loose ball had found him in space 15 yards out.

At the other end some good hustle from James Akintunde saw him maraud into the Gulls final third with the ball eventually being worked out into the path of Roberts whose first-time effort from almost 25 yards flew well over.

Chester were improving and getting their attacking players involved, and a Dawson free kick from 20 yards after Harry White was fouled was fired in with pace but Gulls keeper Vincent Dorel able to gather it comfortably.

As has been the case for almost all of this most woeful of seasons, Chester were limited in quality, especially in the final third. But the visitors, Healey aside, were lacking that same quality.

Chester’s best move of the first half came with seven minutes remaining when good work from Mahon found Andy Halls who played a neat inside pass to White on the ege of the box, with the Blues striker turning and sending a shot destined for the top corner before Dorel tipped acrobatically over for a corner. Halls thundered an effort wide from 18 yards from resulting corner.

A first half for the neutral it was not.

HALF TIME: CHESTER 0 TORQUAY UNITED 1

The first half began with no urgency from either side and it took until the 55th minute for the first meaningful move.

Brett Williams raced onto a long ball and made his way to the byline, cutting back across the six-yard box for Elliott Romain who looked destined to poke home, but he was denied by a superb block from Shaun Hobson to keep the Blues in it.

And Luke Young went close minutes later after Romain had pinched the ball off Hobson near the corner flag, the ball being worked out to Young who rifled a rising effort that skewed well wide.

Firth pulled off two superb saves on 65 minutes, keeping out a deflected Rowe-Turner header from a right wing cross before a one-handed stop to deny Liam Davis.

But the second killer goal would arrive seconds later.

A corner from the right found Romain in acres of space and he headed home to send the travelling band of Gulls fans into delirium. It was typically miserable stuff from Chester.

And to make matters worse Dawson, who has been offered a new deal for next season, was shown his marching orders three minutes later after he picked up two silly bookings to leave his side in an almighty hole. He was met with much anger from home fans when he left the pitch.

Jordan Archer almost made an immediate impact from the bench when with his first touch after replacing White he volleyed an effort on to the post from a Roberts corner.

But Chester were simply dreadful and Firth had to be alert to deny Healey a second from close range before Davis fired wide from the rebound when he should have hit the target.

Five minutes added time rubbed salt into the wounds for the home supporters who really do deserve better than this.

The final whistle on this season can’t come soon enough.

MATCH FACTS

Chester: Firth, Hobson, Jones, Astles, Rowe-Turner, Dawson, Halls, Roberts (Cunningham 77), Mahon (Vose 53), White (Archer 72), Akintunde. Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Crawford.

Bookings: Dawson.

Red card: Dawson.

Goals: None.

Torquay United: Dorel, Davis, McGinty, Gowling, Young, Barnes, Romain, Balatoni, Healey, Lemoneigh-Evans, Williams (Reid 69). Subs not used: Clarke, Efete, Keating, Klukowski.

Bookings: None.

Goals: Healey 3, Romain 66.

Referee: Paul Marsden.

Attendance: 1,830.

Star man: Gary Roberts. One of very few who had fight.