By his own standards, last season fell below expectations for Johnny Hunt.

The Chester FC full-back signed for the Blues from Cambridge United in the summer of 2015 but failed to reach the heights expected of him during a tough season on the field.

But the former Wrexham man has looked like a new signing this season and has played a key role in Chester's superb seven-game unbeaten run in the National League which has taken them to within four points of the play-off places under manager Jon McCarthy.

"I've said it to people close to me and I feel as if I have come on a lot more and that I have a lot more responsibility this year," said Hunt.

"Last year I let too much bypass me. It was not as if I wasn't bothered but this year I have got competition in a very good player in Evan (Horwood).

"With Evan in front of me it has given me the scenario where I can't take my foot off the gas because he is that good of a player that I'm not getting my space back.

"I have got to keep my performance to the highest level possible and I'm delighted that Evan is here because he makes this squad a better one."

Last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Southport in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round was a bitter blow for the Blues as they saw their fine run come to an end at Haig Avenue.

It was a poor performance against former boss Steve Burr's Sandgrounders but Hunt believes the current side have the mental fortitude to bounce back tomorrow at York City (3pm) .

"I think you're allowed one bad performance in eight," said Hunt.

Chester FC's Craig Mahon escapes from former team-mate Ryan Higgins at Southport
Chester FC's Craig Mahon escapes from former team-mate Ryan Higgins

"It has all come together in this run. A couple of times this season we have gone in at 0-0 at half-time and gone on to win the game and that would have been a completely different story last season.

"We have shown we have got a bit about us this year and that we can go and finish games off.

"You have to see how far we have come. Last year there were times when games would bypass us and we would lose and just accept it. As a group and with the manager we aren't expecting anything less than to win the game (against York). We have that belief."

And with the club still focused on hitting their 50-point target for the season, the play-offs have been mentioned in hushed tones at the Lookers Vauxhall Stadium.

And rightly so, believes Hunt. Four points off the play-off places and 14 off the drop zone makes for excellent reading and the Chester left-back believes the Blues have to aim high.

Said Hunt: "It's realistic because if you cut the season down now then we are a quarter of the way through and if we picked up the same amount of points another three times then we would be in the play-offs.

"But we have to take each game at a time and I think we have a mentality where we win the games that we are expected to."