Chester’s dismal FA Trophy exit will not define the club’s season, insists joint-manager Anthony Johnson.

The Blues return to National League North action at Leamington on Saturday as they look to put last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Royston Town firmly behind them.

Sat third in the table with promotion still a tangible prospect, Johnson has called for positivity and says his players can easily lift themselves after their Hertfordshire horror show.

He said: “I remember being asked after the draw against Telford if we could lift the players for the next game.

“If we’d been beaten then fair enough, but to have that put to me after a game was one of the most stupid questions I’ve been asked.

“The players will have no problems lifting themselves after the Royston game - it’s done and we’ve drawn a line under it. The league becomes our only focus now and we’ll look forward positively.

“There’s never a negative mindset within the club. The fact is we’re in a brilliant position.

“We’re third in the league and going into a weekend where the two sides above us are playing each other and could drop points.”

Looking to bridge a 10-point gap between themselves and the summit, Chester will have a vested interest as leaders King’s Lynn host second-placed York City tomorrow.

Of greater importance, though, is that they return to winning ways against an unpredictable Leamington side.

Matty Waters’ stunning last-minute free-kick salvaged a point for the Blues in last September’s reverse fixture which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Johnson (pictured right) believes a more disciplined display at New Windmill Park will prove that last weekend was an aberration.

He added: “We need to do the basics well. After Guiseley and Royston, this will be our third away game in a row and it’s a similar type of game to the other two in some ways.

“We need to replicate the type of performance we produced at Guiseley, where we limited them to zero shots on target and prove that what happened at Royston was a fluke.

“The basics all have to be right for us to go there and get the result. We need to be quicker to second balls, engage higher up the pitch, and better in our transitions between first and second phases.

“This is the perfect opportunity for us to show everyone that we’re better than we showed last weekend and that we have the qualities to win these tough away games.”

Akwasi Asante and Danny Livesey have trained this week and could return for the Blues, although Waters (groin) is unlikely to feature.