Chester took another giant stride towards the title as they overcame a stubborn Exeter side to move six points clear at the top.
The visitors had threatened an upset after taking the lead, but Chester proved their credentials with a stirring fightback with all the goals coming in the second half.
Mark Wright's men had made the early running and Michael Twiss stung the hands of keeper James Bittner with a shot from an acute angle after seven minutes.
For Exeter, Gareth Sheldon forced Iain Turner into a save at full stretch, while Glenn Cronin hit a speculative effort past the post.
Four minutes from the interval Paul Carden played an excellent ball into the box which found Darryn Stamp in a threatening position, but the striker failed to control the ball and the chance was gone.
Stamp again found himself in a good position on 52 minutes as he was fed by Twiss, but Bittner spread himself well to palm away the chance.
Despite having made the most of the running, it was the visitors who took the lead on 59 minutes as Sean Devine took advantage of a poor Danny Collins header to hit a first-time shot with his left foot into the back of the net.
The lead lasted only three minutes as Twiss collected the ball on the edge of the box before drilling a low shot just inside the post to level matters.
Chester then took a stranglehold on the game as Daryl Clare's free-kick found its way past Bittner who allowed the ball to go under his body.
The game appeared to have been made safe three minutes from time as Twiss waltzed past two men before curling the ball into the net with the outside of his left foot, but Sean Canham's late strike in added time gave Chester an anxious final few moments.