For a moment we were able to forget about what is wrong with Chester FC and celebrate what we do right.

The crowd was just 754 - the lowest for the club in a league game since reformation - and the apathy was evident, but academy graduate, 18-year-old Nathan Brown provided the most magical moment in a season of misery as he produced a bit of magic to seal an unlikely 3-2 success for an already-relegated Chester side against Bromley.

For a moment we could just enjoy the football.

Goals from Dominic Vose and Jordan Archer had Chester in front, but each time they were pegged back as Josh Rees and Omar Bugiel pulled goals back for the southern side.

But, on 89 minutes, Brown grabbed his first senior goal to bring a rare smile to the fans who were here to see it.

Following Chester’s relegation from the National League on Saturday the apathy was evident.

Relegation confirmed, a club in disarray off the field and a crunch Champions League clash between Liverpool and Manchester City on the television meant that this was always going to be a hard sell for a dead rubber. A game of little significance for Chester against a southern side with a small away following, it was the perfect storm.

Chester started the game sloppily and were at sixes and sevens for the opening 10 minutes, but Bromley were unable to ask any questions of the Blues’ rearguard with a Louis Dennis deflected shot the closest they game.

But the Blues did find a spring in their step in the 10 minutes that followed and Craig Mahon’s scuffed shot was poked goalwards by James Akintunde, only to fall into the grateful arms of David Gregory.

And Dominic Vose came close to breaking the deadlock on 20 minutes when he struck a powerful first-time effort from Akintunde’s cut-back that Gregory managed to push away.

But moment later Bromley almost opened the scoring when Brandon Hanlan sprang the offside trap to go one-on-one with Andy Firth rounding the Blues keeper with ease only to see his goalbound effort denied by a superb sliding challenge by Tom Crawford, keeping out a certain goal.

The game was starting to open up and Chester had the next sight of goal on the half-hour mark when Andy Halls’ low cross was met at the near post by Harry White, who turned it goalwards only to see his effort trickle agonisingly wide.

Dennis saw a shot drag well wide on 42 minutes before the Blues took a surprise lead on the stroke of half time.

Chester have been guilty of conceding once the fourth official held aloft his board to signal the added minutes on numerous occasions this season, but the boot was on the other foot tonight.

For the first time in a home league game since the win over Eastleigh on February 17, Chester scored a goal.

Former Bromley man Vose picked up the ball on the edge of the area before curling a fine effort beyond Gregory’s grasp and into the bottom corner of the net to hand the Blues the advantage at the break.

HALF TIME: CHESTER 1 BROMLEY 0

The second half started at a sluggish pace and it took five minutes for the first sniff of goal, with Dennis seeing his curled effort from 18-yards deflect wide.

At the other end White was found in space in the box by Vose but the Chester striker couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and the danger was cleared.

A good chance went begging for the visitors on 62 minutes when substitute Jordan Gough, back from a lengthy injury lay-off, saw a shot charged down with the ball cannoning downfield to George Porter, who beat a clip from Vose before cutting a low ball back to Frankie Sutherland on the edge of the area, but he could only blaze well over Firth’s crossbar from 18 yards with his first-time effort.

But Bromley would soon restore parity when substitute Luke Wanadio wrestled the ball off Gary Roberts in the Blues box before playing the ball back into the path of Josh Rees to sweep the ball home into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Bromley were dominating proceedings in the second half, quicker to the ball and making good use of the overlap down the flanks.

But it was Chester who had the next sight of goal with Crawford denied close range to force a corner before the same player saw a header saved from resulting the set piece.

And it was Chester who would strike next.

Akintunde found space in the box, getting to the byline before nudging the ball into the direction of susbstitute Archer who had the simplest of tasks to tap home from two yards out.

But the lead would only last two minutes as Omar Bugiel rose highest to nod home unchallenged after a well delivered free kick from Porter.

But, in arguably Chester’s most memorable moment of the season, the Blues regained the lead on 89 minutes.

Vose set teenager Brown free down the right hand side and he jinked his way past three markers before shooting past Gregory to spark jubilant scenes, particularly from academy head coach Calum McIntyre on the touchline.

At the other end Firth had to be alert to keep out a Brandon Hanlan effort from close range before denying Bugiel a second from the rebound.

But there was no be no late heartache as Chester picked up three points that may mean little for the league table but meant the world to a fanbase who have been starved of joy for so long.

MATCH FACTS

Chester: Firth, Halls, Astles, Hobson, Anderson (Gough 57), Vose, Crawford, Mahon (Brown 79), Roberts, Akintunde, White (Archer 72). Subs not used: Dawson, Cunningham.

Bookings: Roberts, Vose.

Goals: Vose 45, Archer 78, Brown 89.

Bromley: Gregory, Rees, Holland, Reymond, Hanlan, Dennis (Wanadio 54), Johnson, Sterling, Porter, Sutherland, Woolfenden. Subs not used: Dunne, Allen, Higgs.

Bookings: Dennis.

Goals: Rees 65, Bugiel 81.

Attendance: 754.

Referee: Karl Evans.

Star man: Tom Crawford.