STEVE WATSON’S job this week has been getting to the bottom of Chester’s Jekyll and Hyde performances.

Brilliant in a five-goal showing at home to Southport, the Blues were abject as they lost out 2-1 on the National League North trip to Darlington last Saturday.

After that defeat, Chester boss Watson told the club’s YouTube channel: “I’ve got to get to the bottom of it.

“I’m not going to give up on it, you can be assured of that. I’ll have to find the answers. They’ll have to help me find the answers.

“I need some feedback because I need to know what’s going on in the psyche, really, to put back-to-back performances so miles apart.

“It’s not like it was a ‘10’ last week and a ‘6’ this week - it’s gone from a ‘10’ to a ‘3’ and that can’t happen.”

The Blues looked to be on course to stretch their unbeaten run as Marcus Dackers gave them an early lead. But Darlington turned things around with efforts from Junior Mondal and George Smith.

“I almost sent Macca (Steve McNulty) out to do this today because I feel like I’m saying the same things away from home, but obviously I’m the manager and I need to front it up, but it’s really, really frustrating,” added Watson, whose side host Hereford United tomorrow

“I don’t doubt that we’ll have a reaction again next week and I think we’ll put a good performance together next week, but it shouldn’t be a guess.

“It should be guaranteed.

“As I said to the lads, not always expect to be brilliant every week, but you expect to have a certain standard and just the way we try and play at the end just sort of stunk of confidence being drained and we’re better than that.”

Gateshead will stay top tomorrow with victory at home to Spennymoor, now managed by former Blues’ bosses Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson.

Kevin Wilkin’s Brackley Town, level on points with Gateshead, go to Curzon Ashton, while Kidderminster will look to keep their promotion push on course at home to Alfreton.

Other fixtures: Fylde v Telford; Bradford PA v Farsley Celtic, Chorley v Boston; Gloucester v Darlington; Guiseley v Blyth; Kettering v York; Southport v Leamington.