CHESTER joint manager Anthony Johnson has urged his players to take their brilliant home form into away games as they look to secure a National League North play off berth.

Tuesday evening's 2-0 victory over Blyth Spartans was the Blues' tenth win of the campaign at the Swansway Chester Stadium where they have only suffered two defeats this season.

But a quick analysis of their results away from home shows Chester have notched just three victories and suffered eight defeats with only three other sides in the division losing more on the road.

Saturday's trip to Altrincham sees the Blues take on one of those two teams to have left the Deva with three points this season and with the Mancunian outfit lying just one point above Chester in the final play off spot the stakes are high.

"We definitely need to sort out what's going on on the road," said Johnson, following the win over Spartans. "You don't win promotion or get into the top seven by being bottom of the league when it comes to your away record.

"Altrincham came here and deserved to win so we need to put a few wrongs right. Alty are a good side and if we are not on it like we were tonight they will take us to the cleaners. It's a really tough game so it's a big training session on Thursday night where we will go through one or two things."

The Blues had to work hard to break down a stubborn Blyth defence and it was not until the 67th minute that winger Craig Mahon netted a goal that left Johnson full of admiration.

"I loved Mahon's goal because it was everything we do in training and what we are about," he said. "It was a goal that only comes because of brilliant movement off the ball and it was a great run from him and a brilliant finish.

"I've said to him as he's come off that he needs to up his game away from home - you can't play the way he does at home and then go away and be classed as a flat track bully. These are good footballers and we need a little bit more. No one is questioning their work rate but they need to give us more on the ball and the players know that with out us going on about it."

Johnson was in defensive mode when it came to trying to put his finger on why Chester were such a Jekyll and Hyde side this season.

He said: "There is a lot made about tactics and changing the shape away from home but this notion of us going to attack sides away from home and being naive is not true.

"People look for reasons why things don't happen but it's nothing to do with our tactics if Anthony Dudley misses a one on one like he did on Saturday. We were set up perfectly and played some great football, created loads of chances but lost a game that ultimately we deserved to lose.

"We want to win games of football. We don't want to sit in and absorb possession against us. This is Division Six - we're not Athletico Madrid who can set up in a low block. That's not who we are. We've come here and we want to play attacking football but at the same time we don't want to be classed as naive and not knowing how to win games of football.

"This is the first time ever in ten years of managing that we've had this sort of run away from home and can I put my finger on why? No. But does the fact that the team changes every time we play away help? No.

"We are a good enough side to play away from home the way we do here, but when you go to Leamington and the pitch is a quarter of the size or you go to Bradford and the pitch is a bit bobbly the lads need to adapt their game and we can't always play slick passing. But we've got good enough footballers to be able to adapt."

A trip to Moss Lane remains one of non league's classic away trips and Johnson admits Chester face a difficult task if they are going to emerge with a positive result.

"They are a proper football club and a big name in non league and they're flying but they're only point above us and we're rubbish supposedly," he added.

"We have to win every game to put ourselves in the best position we can going into the play offs and play at home. With our away record if we finish seventh it's going to be a tough ask.

"We're looking forward to it because what they did to us here was tough to take but they are a good side with good players a lot of whom Bernard and I know. I can't wait."