LOUIS GRAY somehow managed to complete 90 minutes at the weekend but the goalkeeper will be fit and raring to go when Chester go to Farsley Celtic tonight.

The Blues played their first game for three weeks against Brackley Town on Saturday following several positive coronavirus tests within the squad earlier this month and drew 1-1.

Chester took the lead six minutes into the second period as Jordan Cullinane-Liburd put through his own net from Brad Bauress’s corner, although the Saints were soon back on level terms.

Gray admits he wasn’t feeling well during the encounter and would have been substituted at half-time if the Blues had a goalkeeper on the substitutes bench.

“I had it quite bad to be fair,” said Gray.

“I had four days where I wasn’t able to move, aching all over, headaches, blocked nose and a sore throat. It just felt like a really bad flu.

“Then first half at Brackley I was really struggling, I was seeing double, feeling dizzy and had a headache.

“I haven’t got the virus now but it wasn’t nice. I wanted to come off and probably would have come off if we had a keeper on the bench.

“The gaffer said just get through it for us and we ended up getting a point so it was worth it.”

Joint manager Anthony Johnson labelled the performance as “superb” and Gray felt it was a job well done as Chester, who saw their previous four matches postponed under Covid-19 protocols, returned to action by taking a point.

“They are weird times and it was only a matter of time before we got struck down with it like other clubs have been,” said Gray.

“Two weeks without training and then Brackley away which is a tough game and we came out with a point which we would have taken before the game.”

Chester, who sit 10th in the National League North table, are back in action at Farsley who have only won once in nine outings.

Gray is expecting another tricky test but he is ready for action.

“It will be another difficult game against Farsley,” said Gray.

“All the lads came through on Saturday after a two-week break.

“We will get back to it properly. I feel fine now so hopefully I will be alright during the game.”

Farsley go into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw with high-flying Kidderminster and boss Adam Lakeland felt his side were good value for the point.

“I thought we deserved something out of the game,” said Lakeland. “It would have been really harsh if we had not had anything to show for our efforts.

“Credit to the players for coming back from 2-1 down and it is only one defeat now in five in the league but it feels like we are on a bad run because we have drawn three of them.”