CALUM MCINTYRE is looking to get the mindset of his Chester players right as the push to cement a spot in the National League North play-offs continues this evening.

The Blues, currently fifth in the standings, host Southport at the Leap76 Stadium and victory is the aim for Chester following four consecutive draws.

The latest of these came with Saturday’s goalless affair at home to Curzon Ashton and boss McIntyre told Chester FC TV: “I have to get the mindset of our group right. I’ve said it a lot during the season, it’s why I’m really calm. I knew the position we’d be in.

“Knew that we would be in a scrap for those play-off places. There’s probably a handful of clubs I’d swap our situation with and they’re probably the ones above us in the league.

“There’s a lot that I wouldn’t swap with and some of those are in and around us and there’s certainly some further away and cut adrift. Our focus has got to be on our mentality first and foremost to the game, to embrace the situation that we’re in that is different than last season.

“It’s not new to me, not new to my staff. There’ll be some of the players that have got that experience.

“We’ve just got to make sure as a group, first as individuals, we make sure we’re putting our foot forwards.”

It’s also a case of trying to unlock visiting defences during home matches and McIntyre stressed: “The position we’ve put ourselves in to be at the top end of the play-off teams means that sides are coming here and playing a certain way, and that is to restrict the space behind, generally to play five across the back-line and the emphasis is on us to open them up with quality, that I just think we’ve lacked.”

The leading duo are both away tonight. Front-runners Tamworth meet Gloucester and second-placed Scunthorpe face Spennymoor.

Other fixtures: Banbury v Boston; Bishop’s Stortford v King’s Lynn; Blyth v Darlington; Farsley Celtic v Warrington; Hereford v Alfreton; Peterborough Sports v Buxton; Rushall v Brackley; Scarborough v Curzon Ashton; South Shields v Chorley.

It’s top versus bottom in the National League tonight with Chesterfield at home to struggling Oxford City.

Other fixtures: Aldershot v Ebbsfleet; Altrincham v York; Barnet v Eastleigh; FC Halifax v Oldham; Gateshead v Dagenham & Redbridge; Kidderminster v AFC Fylde; Maidenhead v Hartlepool; Rochdale v Woking; Solihull Moors v Boreham Wood; Southend v Dorking; Wealdstone v Bromley.