The League Two outfit, who finished last season just one place above the relegation zone in the basement division, endured a nightmare start to the campaign on Saturday by crashing to a 6-0 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Chester have a chance to make amends in front of the live Sky cameras tonight when Leeds make their first visit to the town since a League Cup tie at the club's former Sealand Road home a quarter of a century ago.

McAllister said: "I have got the reports from the game and they (Chester) were unfortunate to lose their centre-half in the warm up. It meant they had to re-jig their whole starting XI, but I expect a reaction against us. It is going to be tough."

David Prutton and Enoch Showunmi are doubts after having suffered minor knocks in the weekend win at Scunthorpe United when McAllister admits it took his players some time to get into their stride.

He added: "We want to start fast and start better than what we did at Scunthorpe. At half-time we were thinking that we hadn't really got going. But after an hour, once the game settled, they couldn't really maintain their work rate and I thought our quality shone through. Come the end of the game we were deserved winners."

Last six games: Chester City LLDDDL, Leeds United WWLWLW.

Referee: G Salisbury (Lancashire).

Last time: Chester City 1 Leeds United 4; October 26, 1983; League Cup.