CHESTER midfielder Sean McAllister has reminded his teammates they are playing for their futures at the club as they go in search of an improbable play off push.

The Blues remain five points off the play-off places after winning just three games out of 11 since the New Year with the latest disappointment a 1-1 home draw with struggling Leamington.

But despite their poor form, the experienced McAllister, 31, feels Chester are more than capable of finishing the season on a positive note whether that means making the top seven or not.

"I know our away record isn't great but we've got to go to Darlington and win and if we do it's not over until it's over," said the former Sheffield Wednesday and Scunthorpe midfielder.

"One win and all of a sudden you're looking at the league differently because so many of the teams above us have still got to play each other. If you go on a good run and get a bit of confidence you don't know what might happen - you could be going into the play offs on a bit of a high."

Saturday's draw with Leamington saw McAllister play his first 90 minutes for the club since an injury lay off and despite conceding a late equaliser to the ten men Brakes he said the Blues were now returning to something approaching full strength.

"We came out second half and got a brilliant start which was exactly what we were talking about in the dressing room," he said. "

At that point we were thinking let's get right on top of this game and kill it off and after the sending off it was really there for us and we should have done better.

"We didn't regroup as an 11 and sort out what we were going to do - I don't know if we switched off but there were about three mistakes in the one goal.

"We're massively disappointed because that was a game we should have taken three points from. The first half wasn't great and it was tough in the wind and on the pitch and it didn't really go the way we wanted it to.

"But there were lads who needed minutes out there including myself and Akwasi (Asante) so hopefully you start feeling the benefits of that."

McAllister endured a injury plagued spell at Grimsby having moved there from Scunthorpe in 2016 but injury saw him make just four appearances for the Mariners in two seasons, before Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley handed him the chance to impress at Chester in the hope of securing a long-term deal.

"I don't think anyone is fully contracted for next year," added McAllister. "I know there's a few options on a few players but other than that you are playing for your future.

"I know from experience it's certainly better having an offer there for next season going into the summer because it is a tough world out there when you are out of contract.

"There are so many players all fighting for the same jobs and I think that's something we've all got to realise. If we don't make the play offs fair dos but we've got give it everything because we're playing for our futures as well."

Former Chester striker Nathan Brown has joined Liverpool-based Northern Premier League side Marine FC after leaving the Deva last week. Brown, who also had loan spells this season at Ramsbottom United and Colwyn Bay, told Marine's website: ''I am delighted to be joining Marine and looking forward to the rest of the season and just playing some games which I haven’t done for a while.''