ANTHONY JOHNSON has hailed the ‘maturity and positivity’ of Chester’s young players, reserving special praise for midfield duo Iwan Murray and Cain Noble.

Beset with injury worries early in the campaign, Blues joint managers Johnson and Bernard Morley have had to to supplement their bench with youth players in recent weeks.

An injury in the warm-up to Scott Burton saw Murray handed his first senior start against Kidderminster Harriers, an opportunity he gratefully seized.

Despite his small stature, the 18-year-old turned in a man-of the-match display on his debut and followed up by netting in Chester’s 4-0 FA Cup victory over City of Liverpool on Saturday.

Johnson said: “Iwan’s a player we’ve always had in our minds since we first saw him.

“We watched a lot of him in pre-season and had really high hopes for him right from the start.

“He really caught our eye with the way he played - always looking to get forward on the half-turn and he plays without any fear at all.

“He’s a real breath of fresh air for us as managers.

“After doing so well against Kidderminster he found it really tough going against City of Liverpool who packed their midfield and really limited his options.

“We took him to one side at half-time and tried to direct him into certain areas and instruct him on where he might get more time and space to influence the game.

“Credit to him, he takes everything we say on board - he’s like a sponge the way he reacts to instruction. In the second half it completely paid off because he ran the show for us and got himself a goal.”

A foot injury to influential Blues midfielder Gary Roberts saw Noble introduced from the bench after just 30 minutes in the FA Cup clash.

The 18-year-old’s first involvement in the game saw him booked for a rash challenge within minutes of stepping onto the field.

“That enthusiasm is part and parcel of Cain’s game and it’s very difficult to curb that physical edge,” added Johnson.

“But he really impressed us with the maturity he showed after the booking. He managed his own game and played like an old head by showing a lot of control and composure for the remainder of the game.

“He carried a lot of threat too and could have had three or four goals on another day.

“That’s what it’s all about, seeing the young players coming on, playing positively loving the big occasion.

“Both Iwan and Cain have really forced their way into the reckoning and are already looking like mainstays in this team.

“I’ve said before that I’ve never experienced an injury list like this one, but the flip side is that it’s opened up opportunities for these academy lads to make the step up.”

Chester have been boosted by the news that the foot injury sustained by Roberts is not as serious as originally thought.

The Blues midfielder was feared to have broken his foot in the clash, but hospital tests revealed severe bruising and swelling only.

He remains a major doubt for Saturday’s trip to league leaders Chorley, joining an extensive list of Blues absentees.

Burton’s calf injury problems remain ongoing, while Dominic Smalley remains sidelined with a dislocated shoulder.

George Green, Anthony Dudley and Deane Smalley all face fitness tests ahead of the game.