Blues failed to beat a vibrant Woking side at the Swansway Chester Stadium – going down 2-0 in the National League.
Goals from Kane Ferdinand and Jamie Philpot secured all three points for the visitors.
Woking began the season in fine form – and the introduction of a fresh face on the touch line in Anthony Limbrick has proved a shrewd move.
However, Limbrick’s travelling Cards have struggled on the road in the early stages of the current campaign – winning just twice on their travels so far.
Manager Marcus Bignot named an unchanged squad to the side that beat Maidenhead United last time out, but Craig Mahon’s twentieth minute injury enforced an early change – as Liam Davies entered the fray.
Woking enjoyed several bright spells of possession, pressed high up the pitch, and knocked the ball around with a sense of confidence.
Charlie Carter engineered a brilliant chance to give the away side the lead after Tom Shaw failed to get a clean connection with the ball, but snatched at the chance and fired wide from 12 yards out.
Cards opened the scoring on the tenth minute when a floated cross into the area was headed home by former-Southend midfielder Kane Ferdinand.
Matt Young lofted an early cross in towards the back post; and Ferdinand sent a bullet header well past Alex Lynch between the sticks for the Blues
After riding their luck at the start the Blues found a sense of rhythm. Lathaniel Rowe-Turner came the closest to grabbing his first Chester goal when his bursting run forward resulted in a fantastic reaction save from Nathan Baxter.
Baxter had to be alert yet again to deny Ross Hannah before the break. James Akintunde worked the ball on the edge of the area before his effort was deflected into the path of Hannah – and Baxter stuck out his leg to prevent the Blues from grabbing an equaliser.
Not much luck was heading Chester way when Ryan Astles saw a perfect opportunity go begging. A high free kick into the area was headed down onto the post, before it trickled across the goal line and cleared out of play.
Andy Halls’ back pass towards Alex Lynch wasn’t dealt with, forcing the Blues keeper into a rushed attempted clearance – and Jamie Philpot pounced on the chance to tuck the ball into an empty net from the edge of the area.
Chester: Lynch, Halls, McCombe (Bell 81, Astles, Rowe-Turner, Mahon (Davies 20), Shaw (Turnbull 66), James, Dawson, Hannah, Akintunde.
Subs not used: Joyce, Sheron.
Woking: Baxter, Young, Staunton, Wynter, Saraiva (Stojsavljevic 71), Issac, Ferdinand, Carter, Bawling (Ward 66), Charles-Cook, Philpot (Effiong 80).
Subs not used: Orlu, Appau.
Referee: Glen Hart
Report by Conor Shaw