A John Rooney double and a first goal for Oliver McBurnie helped Chester FC extend their winning run in the Vanarama Conference to three matches after a deserved win in difficult conditions at 10-man Welling United.

Rooney's penalty and sweet free kick and a header from McBurnie, his first since joining on loan from Bradford City, helped the Blues to three points despite going a goal behind after Reece Harris' strike before Jake Gallagher's sending off changed the game.

Blues boss Steve Burr named an unchanged side to the one that won so convincingly at home to Lincoln City in midweek and saw his decision rewarded with another precious three points that keep them in the hunt for the play-off places, something almost unthinkable a month ago.

Rooney was superb for the Blues and caused untold problems for the hosts. His movement and usage of the ball was excellent and he deservedly got himself on the scoresheet and was unlucky not to have had three or four.

Chester had never beaten the Wings in each of their three previous meetings, losing twice last season and drawing once this term, but they righted that wrong on a wet and muddy Park View Road pitch.

The Blues started brightly and moved the ball around on a difficult surface, John Rooney having the first effort on target in the fifth minute when he rifled an effort straight at Wings keeper Jonathan Henly when well placed.

The Blues continued to press but found themselves hit on the counter on 15 minutes when the lighting-quick Harris latched onto a through ball from Rowan Vine before sliding the ball under the advancing Jon Worsnop.

The home side, buoyed by their advantage, began to pressurise the Chester backline into mistakes on a slippy and muddy surface and looked to have been heading towards a second when Rowan Vine latched onto Harris' cross, but Worsnop stopped the ex Luton man, who was flagged for offside.

But Chester began to find a foothold in the contest once more and restored parity when, on 36 minutes, Ryan Higgins picked up the ball on the right hand side and curled an inch-perfect deep ball into the Welling box where Oliver McBurnie was on hand to nod beyond Henly from eight yards into the bottom left.

The game took a huge swing in Chester's favour when the hosts were reduced to 10 men on 38 minutes. Jake Gallagher, sent off in the corresponding fixture last season, dived in rashly on McBurnie and was immediately shown his marching orders by referee Chris Powell.

Then, in added time in the first half, Craig Mahon's pacy cross was handled by debutant Karl Duguid and the referee didn't hesitate to point to the spot, from where Rooney coolly dispatched the ball into the bottom left.

It didn't take the Blues long to increase their advantage, with Rooney once again the man on the scoresheet.

Hughes was felled 25 yards from goal and Rooney stepped up and nonchalantly dispatched a wonderful curling effort past the despairing dive of Henly to send the hardy band of travelling Blues fans into raptures.

Rooney had the chance to increase his goal tally soon after when he fizzed a superb drive from 20 yards that Henly had to paw away before a melee in the Wings box saw Rooney, McBurnie, Hughes and Mahon all scupper chances in the six yard box.

Mahon came close to getting in on the act when he cut inside Darren Purse and it a left foot shot which cannoned back of the bottom of the left hand post and out to safety.

The Blues hit the woodwork again shortly after when left back Gareth Roberts attempted to get in on the act when he hit a vicious 35 yard effort which ricocheted off the post and bobbled across the front of the Wings goal before being hacked clear.

Welling did try and make a fist of it and came close to reducing the arrears on 73 minutes when a Chris Bush header was cleared off the line by Ben Heneghan and, five minutes from time, substitute Kieron St Aimie should have done better when he found himself well placed 12 yards out, only to see the ball hooked clear.

Welling United: Henly, Fyfield, Gallagher, Bush, Vose (Carmichael 58), Harris, Williams, Vine (Corne 58), Purse, Healy (St Aimie 74), Duguid.

Subs: Fagan, Zerafa.

Goal: Harris 15.

Bookings: Carmichael.

Sent off: Gallagher.

Chester FC: Worsnop, Roberts, Kay (Charnock 65), Heneghan, Higgins, Mahon (Richards 77) Rooney, McConville, Abbott (Thomson 65), Hughes, McBurnie.

Subs: Viscosi, Touray.

Goals: McBurnie 37, Rooney 45 (pen) and 47.

Bookings: Abbott, Kay.

Referee: Chris Powell (Dorset).

Attendance: 619.