The Blues produced another commendable display against promotion-chasing Wycombe, but Paul McManus and Kevin Roberts were guilty of missing goalscoring opportunities before Wycombe's leading marksman, Scott McGleish, snatched his team's 78th minute winning goal.

City are now just two precarious points above the drop zone occupied by Mansfield Town and Wrexham who both celebrated victories.

Chester have still only won two of their last 22 League Two fixtures and, more concerning is the statistic that City haven't managed to keep a clean sheet in 24 games.

An inability to take chances and a disturbing habit of conceding goals has dragged the Blues into a dogfight at the foot of the table.

Hopes just a fortnight ago of claiming three precious points to grab a lifeline have receded as Chester hang onto the hope of clawing at least three points from their remaining three fixtures, irrespective of other results.

Blues boss Simon Davies made just one change from the side that were beaten 2-1 at home to Lincoln City the week before.

James Vaughan returned in defence, replacing injured Kevin Ellison, in a 4-4-2 formation, while Wycombe were unchanged from their 1-0 midweek win at Grimsby Town.

Chester did enough to keep the home club at bay during a workmanlike opening half.

But Wanderers did trouble City during the early exchanges, with Stefan Oakes seeing his second minute free kick bouncing wide of the right post, and his deflected shot six minutes later being easily caught by John Danby.

Chester countered in the 12th minute when Paul Rutherford and Paul McManus combined in a bid to release John Murphy, but the striker was beaten to the ball by defender Leon Johnson who cleared the danger.

Russell Martin tried to break the deadlock in the 18th minute with a powerful strike that flew well over the bar, before Kevin Sandwith hit back with a long range effort that also flew over the target.

Williamson pushed forward in a bid to make an impact in the 28th minute, but his low angled shot from the right edge of the six yard box bounced inches wide of the far post.

And Wycombe maintained the pressure a minute later when Martin so nearly found the target with a 25-yard shot that dipped narrowly wide of the left post.

Gary Holt then saw his 15 yard effort deflect off Laurence Wilson before flying over the target.

Chester's final scoring chance of the half arrived seconds before the break when Sandwith's free kick from 25 yards hit the wall of defenders before being cleared.

Delroy Facey forced Danby into a superb reflex save just two minutes after the restart as Wycombe were urged on by the fans.

But Chester were guilty of missing a superb opportunity to break the deadlock two minutes later when Vaughan hoisted a well measured right wing cross which Murphy flicked on to McManus, but the youngster, not realising how much time he had, lobbed the ball over Fielding and the bar from 10 yards.

Wycombe, clearly shaken by the Chester chance, countered in the 51st minute when Facey headed the ball down to McGleish, but the striker's goalbound effort was brilliantly saved from eight yards by Danby.

Wilson attempted to inject urgency for the Blues down the left and succeeded in finding Murphy in the 54th minute, but the striker's header was comfortably saved by Fielding.

Facey, who looked an imposing figure whenever he ventured forward alongside McGleish, flashed a shot wide of the right post on the hour mark, and he threatened to stamp his authority on the proceedings 10 minutes later until his former Tranmere Rovers clubmate, Paul Linwood, denied him with a timely challenge on the edge of the box.

Chester replaced McManus for Chris Holroyd in the 68th minute in a bid to boost the team's attacking options.

And Roberts so nearly made his mark in the 75th minute with a volley that bounced wide of the right post from Sandwith's right wing cross.

But Wycombe were far from finished, exemplified by McGleish whose 77th minute shot found the sidenetting from 18 yards.

And the striker then notched his 26th goal of the season from close range after Mike Williamson had played the ball into his path.

It was a cruel blow for the Blues who were counting the cost once again for their missed chances.

How Roberts failed to find the target with an 86th minute shot from three yards off Sandwith's inch-perfect cross will remain a mystery.

But Chester must solve the answer to their mysterious failures as the trapdoor beckons.