Luke Garrard has asked for a reaction from his Boreham Wood players against Chester on Saturday following Tuesday's first National League defeat of the season.

Tranmere Rovers halted Wood's unbeaten start at three games by running out 1-0 winners in a tight game at Meadow Park.

Chester, meanwhile, were beaten 3-2 at Barrow on Tuesday and have lost three of their first four fixtures to find themselves in 19th place.

But that doesn't mean a return to winning ways is a given for Wood.

"Chester haven't had the start they wanted but they will get another opportunity against us on Saturday and look to right some wrongs," said Garrard.

"That's what I've asked the players to do too. We don't want doom and gloom. We've lost a game against a Tranmere side that are the best side we've played. You will have to go a long way to beat them to the title."

A win over Rovers on Tuesday night would have seen Wood climb to the summit of the National Leauge. However, they are fifth after four games and Garrard is delighted with his side's start.

"You have to put it all in perspective," he said. "We've taken seven points from 12 and if we can get a positive result on Saturday that's ten from 15 - I'd have been over the moon with that at the start of the season."

Chester, re-formed in 2010 following the winding up of the original Chester City, have been in the National League since 2013 following three consecutive promotions.

Steve Burr, who had been in charge since 2014, was sacked in April and former assistant Jon McCarthy stepped up to take the job on a caretaker basis.

The former York City and Birmingham City winger won three of his four games in the hotseat and was rewarded with the job on a permanent basis.

But it has been a far from ideal start to his first full managerial job with defeats to Gateshead, Maidstone United and Barrow.

Chester's only points came from a 3-0 win over newly-relegated Dagenham & Redbridge, highlighting their potential.

Boreham Wood will be without Daniel Uchechi, Anthony Jeffrey and David Stephens due to injury, while Conor Clifford serves a one-match ban for collecting two bookings against Tranmere.