CALUM MCINTYRE has praised his Chester players for their response to a tough spell of National League North action.

The Blues bounced back from losses to Buxton and Curzon Ashton in fine fashion with a comfortable 3-0 home success over Hereford.

Manager McIntyre told Chester FC TV: “Full credit to the players for what’s been a very difficult week.

“Very difficult conditions and a very difficult atmosphere. We fell miles short last week and I’m bored talking about it at the standards that we’ve set.

“Not standards that other people set, that we set over a period of time.”

The Blues went into the interval a goal to the good.

Will Hugill, on his debut on loan from Championship Burnley, supplied an inviting cross into the box and Charlie Caton headed in his eighth of the season in the first minute.

Chester had some breathing space when they doubled their lead after an hour.

Nathan Woodthorpe produced the cross on this occasion and Tom Peers headed in.

It was left to Caton to conclude the scoring, capitalising on good work from Jack Bainbridge and Harrison Burke.

“To turn a performance out like that I thought was top drawer and it’s a reflection on how well they want to do for a whole variety of reasons and I’m so pleased for them, because they’ve done well for us this season,” added McIntyre.

“There’s however many teams have had better starts than us, but we’re there-or-thereabouts and we will be there-or-thereabouts at the end of the season.”

On the back of their sixth league success of the season, Chester are 11th in National League North, but they are just a point adrift of the play-off positions.

Goalkeeper Alex Brown has joined Glossop North End on loan for three months.

The 18-year-old joined the Blues in July after impressing during a trial spell, following his departure from Tranmere Rovers at the end of last season.

Radcliffe held front-runners Scunthorpe United to a goalless draw and second-placed Chorley were able to move level on points with the leaders on the back of their 2-1 home triumph against fellow high-flyers King’s Lynn Town, who slipped to third position in the standings.

Other results: Farsley 0 Darlington 2; Kidderminster 2 Buxton 2; Leamington 2 Peterborough Sports 1; Needham Market 1 Spennymoor 1; Oxford City 1 Southport 1; Warrington 0 South Shields 3.