The Blues remain in a precarious league position, but the mathematics is now simple, as they require one point from their remaining two games to survive, irrespective of Mansfield Town''s final result next weekend at Dagenham and Redbridge.

But City are hardly making life easy for themselves after shooting blanks at a Shrewsbury side who are not exactly setting the world alight.

Defensively, City look solid, and they work hard as a unit in midfield, but the team's creativity means nought without an end product.

Chester have simply looked toothless in front of goal and their nil return in the goals return column may yet return to haunt them.

Blues boss Simon Davies made two changes to the City side that had lost 1-0 at Wycombe Wanderers the previous week.

Midfielders Mark Hughes and Paul Rutherford both made way for Richie Partridge and Kevin Ellison who were returning after being sidelined with injuries.

City came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening half after enjoying the majority of possession, particularly in midfield.

But the home club produced a series of promising initiatives during the early exchanges, courtesy of impressive right-sided midfielder, Chris Humphrey.

Humphrey forced City keeper John Danby into a catch from his dangerous second minute run and cross, and his fourth minute centre had to be cleared by Laurence Wilson.

Former City player, Kevin McIntyre, forced Danby into a save from his low 25 yard drive a minute later.

But Chester were just inches away from making an impact in the eighth minute when Paul McManus saw his powerful 18 yard shot hit the left post and rebound across the face of goal and wide.

Ex-Chester midfielder Ben Davies created an opportunity for striker Dave Hibbert in the 15th minute, but Hibbert's glancing header from Davies' left wing cross bounced wide of the right post.

City countered in the 24th minute when McManus picked out Kevin Roberts whose goalbound shot was blocked.

Ellison's appeal for a penalty after being beaten by McIntyre on the byline was ignored by Premiership referee, Rob Styles.

And Ellison reacted to the incident by blatantly simulating a dive after being tackled by Ben Herd, before implying that he should perhaps be booked, and Styles obliged.

Home striker Guy Madjo saw his 37th minute shot deflected wide of the target, before City countered in the shape of Partridge who cut inside before curling his 18-yard shot wide of the right post.

Ellison, clearly struggling with a heavily strapped thigh, was substituted by Paul Rutherford five minutes before the break.

And City finished the half in positive fashion with McManus forcing home keeper Scott Bevan into a save around his post.

Shrewsbury looked the lively side immediately after the restart with Madjo arriving fractionally too late to make contact with an incisive low centre from Humphrey.

McIntyre was guilty of blasting a 15-yard chance over the bar seconds later, and Humphrey's 49th minute goalbound shot was superbly tipped round the post by Danby.

Kevin Roberts, operating in the centre of midfield with Kevin Sandwith, justifiably held his head in his hands in the 59th minute when he received a slide-rule pass from Rutherford and steered his 15-yard effort well over the bar.

Davies responded for the Shrews, but his speculative 25-yard attempt was also arrowed over the bar.

And Davies found himself in a great position in the 77th minute when he received a fine pass from Humphrey, but the midfielder's shot deflected off Roberts and into the grateful grasp of Danby.

Young striker, McManus, was substituted by Mark Hughes 10 minutes from time as City attempted to make a final push for the points.

But Chester's final scoring initiative resulted in further disappointment as Partridge seized on a Murphy flick-on, but defender Marc Tierney read the situation and cleared the danger.

Shrewsbury finished the contest with two further scoring chances, but Davies' 84th minute goalbound attempt was blocked by James Vaughan, and Madjo steered a header over the bar from a Humphrey centre.