Wright ready for survival fight

By Chris Bevan

The rest of our games are big games but every one is winnable and that is what we have to strive for Chester manager Mark Wright

Chester manager Mark Wright says keeping his side in the Football League will be even more difficult than the rescue act he pulled off to keep the club in the Conference four years ago.

When Wright began his first spell in charge at the Deva Stadium in January 2002, Chester were embroiled in a desperate struggle to avoid relegation to the Unibond League before he led them up the table to safety.

Fast-forward to 2006 and Wright has been brought back for another fire-fighting mission, with the club struggling at the wrong end of League Two.

"This is way harder to turn around," Wright told BBC Sport.

"We're playing League football, not Conference football, and there is a lot at stake to stay in the League.

WRIGHT'S MANAGERIAL HISTORY Chester: Feb 06- Peterborough: May 05-Jan 06 Chester: Jan 02-Aug 04 Oxford: May 01-Nov 01 Southport: Dec 99-May 01

"The clubs here are all full-time and have big squads - in the Conference back then they didn't."

Wright's return to Chester was a surprise, given his acrimonious departure from the Deva Stadium on the eve of the 2004/05 season after he had led the club to the Conference title.

But after he became available following another controversial exit - from Peterborough - in February, Chester chairman Stephen Vaughan saw him as the right man to halt Chester's spiral towards the bottom of the table.

Under former boss Keith Curle, the Blues were fourth in the table on 6 December but in their next 12 games took only three points from a possible 36.

Wright could not halt that slide immediately, picking up only one point from his first four games in charge - and Chester slumped to bottom of the League on 18 March before defeat at rivals Wrexham heightened the gloom.

Boston 1-3 Chester

But since then successive wins over Boston and Macclesfield - with Derek Asamoah scoring five goals in two games - have breathed life into Chester's season and Wright is confident they can maintain their resurgent form.

Chester 2-1 Macc'field

"In the short time I have been back we should have beaten Torquay and Cheltenham, so last week's win over Boston was long overdue," he added.

"It was deserved and it gave us the confidence they needed.

"The players needed to believe in themselves and they needed to score goals. They needed to go out there and have something to hold on to, something to cheer and something to feel good about and they certainly got that from that performance.

"You cannot tell whether that will prove to be the turning point in our season but you live in hope that it will be the case.

TOP OF LEAGUE TWO (6 DEC) 1. Wycombe P20 Pts 38 2. Grimsby P20 Pts 37 3. L Orient P20 Pts 34 4. Chester P20 Pts 33 5. Carlisle P20 Pts 33

"The rest of our games are big games but every one is winnable and that is what we have to strive for.

"The biggest thing was changing their mentality and getting them into the winning habit.

"We have to be strong and solid and defend for our lives, then express ourselves going forward - and we are starting to do that.

"You cannot stop Derek at the moment and long may it continue. He is on fire and when he is playing like he is he is a very valuable asset."

The battle for survival looks set to go to the wire with many of the clubs at the bottom of the table playing each other in the run-in.

BOTTOM OF LEAGUE TWO (4 APR) 20. Chester P39 Pts 43 21. Stockport P39 Pts 43 22. Barnet P39 Pts 42 23. Rushden P40 Pts 41 24. Torquay P39 Pts 39

But Wright says he is not worried about any other side apart from his own.

Wright said: "It is in our hands now. We are out of the bottom two and it is down to us.

"Everyone is fighting for something as professionals to get results and win football matches. They are all different games for us against teams from the top to the bottom, and you can't turn around and say one is easier than the next because they're not.

"What I do know is that if we keep applying ourselves like we have in the past week and we stay clear of a few injuries then this group of players can get themselves out of it.

"It is up to us to keep them solid and keep them together. We will keep working on the right things and keep the team spirit and the atmosphere we have around the club at the moment."