CHESTER are still without a home win in 2017 ahead of entertaining York City tomorrow.

The Blues have lost seven and drawn one of their last eight games on their own soil, including a current sequence of five straight defeats, which is their worst run for nine years when they were beaten in their first eight Deva Stadium encounters of 2008.

Jon McCarthy’s part-timers last tasted victory in front of their own fans during a 2-0 triumph against Aldershot on December 17, although five of their subsequent losses have been against sides in the promotion reckoning.

Bitter local rivals Wrexham are the only club not to have won at Chester during the first four months of this calendar year.

The Welsh outfit shared a 1-1 draw, while the Blues have otherwise gone down to Barrow (1-2), Macclesfield (2-3), Eastleigh (0-1), Tranmere (2-3), Gateshead (1-2), Forest Green (0-2) and Solihull (0-3).

But last weekend’s 1-0 win at ten-man Torquay, who had Myles Anderson sent off in the first half, did move Chester nine points clear of the relegation zone in the apparent safety of 13th position.

In James Alabi they also have a marksman who has netted 16 times this season, but the 22-year-old, ex-Mansfield and Ipswich striker is without a goal in his last three outings, which represents his longest barren spell since November.

Former City legend McCarthy’s small squad is stretched with five players ruled out this weekend from a squad that has seen the 1993 Wembley hero, who is assisted by one-time Bootham Crescent loan signing Chris Iwelumo, only use 24 bodies all term.

Another ex-Minsterman Evan Horwood, who spent two months on loan from Sheffield United in the 2005/06 season, is the latest injury casualty, having suffered medial knee ligament damage at Torquay.

His place in an experimental attacking midfield role is now set to be filled by teenager Matty Waters.

Forwards James Akintunde (knee ligament damage) and Jordan Chappell (fractured cheekbone) have both been sidelined, meanwhile, since October and January respectively due to injuries suffered on the training ground.

In addition, winger Craig Mohan has been ruled out for more than a month with a hip problem and full-back Ross Killock has been injury plagued all season.

Chester (probable): Lynch, Hughes, Astles, Hudson, Hunt, Dawson, Lloyd, Joyce, Waters, Richards, Alabi.