JAN VAN DEVENTER believes Chester must stabilise their away form if they are to emerge as title winners this term.

A comfortable 24-5 home victory over Peterborough Lions last weekend moved Chester to within two points of the National League Two North summit.

The result saw the Hare Lane club capitalise on a rare slip-up from pacesetters Hull Ionians, who lost at Stourbridge.

And head coach Jan Van Deventer insists that results on the road will ultimately decide the promotion places.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Hinckley, he said: “The points we’ve dropped away from home is one of the most frustrating elements of a very positive season so far.

“Five of our six defeats this year have been away from Hare Lane, which tells its own story really.

“Some of those games - the likes of Peterborough and Hull - were games we really should have taken more from and we felt pretty hard done by in both.

“We have to try to find that balance so that we’re replicating those big performances at home and coming away with four or five-point wins.That’s what will keep us ticking over and in the hunt for the league title this season.”

Hinckley fell to sixth in the table after their narrow 30-25 reverse at South Leicester last weekend.

Chester won 19-0 in November’s reverse fixture courtesy of tries from Tom Holloway (below), Guy Ford and skipper Colin Campbell

But Van Deventer expects a stern test from George Chuter’s side in Leicestershire.

He added: “As Director of Rugby, George does an excellent job alongside the coaches and they’re a club that has good links with Leicester Lions now.

“But for us it’s about working as hard as they do and showing our match-winning quality when we get the opportunity.”

Flanker George Baxter comes back into contention for Chester this weekend’s clash in an otherwise full-strength squad.