JON McCARTHY believes Chester have non-league football's very own Lionel Messi in Craig Mahon.

The Blues assistant manager praised the Irish midfielder for the part he played in Saturday's 4-0 home FA Trophy second round victory against Hungerford Town.

And McCarthy hopes the £6,000 prize money pocketed from the weekend win to reach the last 16 in the competition can be invested in strengthening the Chester squad for the remainder of the campaign.

"We won £6,000 from beating Hungerford and progressing in the FA Trophy, and that's a significant amount of money for us, so there will be a discussion with the board to see if that money is available for us to do anything with," McCarthy said.

"£6,000 at this level will get us a good player for 14 weeks and that might help us go to a club and get a player or pay for somebody's wages from a bigger club.

"The gaffer texts and rings me all the time with player targets. We know we won't be able to afford Lionel Messi, but we've got Craig Mahon and he's our Lionel Messi!

"Craig Mahon had a great season last year and we're a big believer in him.

"You can have all of your shape, all of your structure, all of your balance, and Craig can do all of that as well as moving the ball at the maddest angles.

"We got him back for a little bit, then we lost him, but there has been three or four games now when he has started to produce and that will make us more creative and that will ensure that we play more exciting football.

"When Craig is on form is when we have our best performances and when the fans and everyone enjoy the best afternoons.

"There is a lot that goes on around him, but when he sparks like he did on Saturday then that's the best football we play."

McCarthy also reserved a few words of praise for prolific marksman Ross Hannah who netted his 17th goal of the season in Saturday's victory.

He said: "Ross had some one on ones and he had those early on in the season and I know he tried all kinds of things like chipping the ball, going around the keeper, but when he went away to score his goal on Saturday I don't think anybody doubted him.

"The way he set the chance up and the way he put the ball in the net proved he is in really good form.

"He's been a joy to watch and he's been a big success to us this year. He was a player that the gaffer targeted to improve us and that is proving to be the right decision.

"We needed Saturday's win after a poor Christmas and New Year.

"We had a poor result against Macclesfield and we should have beaten Altrincham here because we were better than them but we just weren't able to finish the game off.

"The win against Hungerford in front of our own fans will give us a boost, but we now have a really big game this Saturday at home to Southport.

"It will be a better week for us because we have had to come into training on Mondays recently and have to lift people and get ourselves going again.

"We know that we're in that mini table near the bottom and we realise how difficult it is to put a run together.”

George Thomson has joined FC United of Manchester in a permanent deal.

The 23-year-old made 12 appearances for the Blues this season before joining FC United on loan where he has netted five goals in eight games and has now signed for the Broadhurst Park club for an undisclosed fee.