Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Bromley 2 Chesterfield 2
League Two Game #9
Thankfully, our home fixture with Bromley is on a Tuesday night in January. Why? I hear you ask. Our Saturday record against the Ravens, played eight, points four. Our Tuesday record, played five (unbeaten), points nine. All we need is for Andy Woodman to sell Michael Cheek in the transfer window before our fixture on the 28th. Inevitably he scored, goal number 11 in appearance 14 against the Spireites, making us his most prolific opponents.
We knew what to expect from Bromley, and got it. Chesterfield had 64% of the possession, Bromley won 72% of the aerial duels. Both teams led, both teams gave it their all, both teams made mistakes, both teams could have won it (or lost it). But frustration again, having led but not won. Eight points have slipped away in those circumstances, the team is six points behind the leaders. Nearly there but frustratingly, not quite.
Three out through injury, plus Armando’s foot must have been sore after Saturday’s lacerations, so Paul Cook was forced to rotate his squad, but perhaps not in an ideal way, and the team started well, so it was a bit of a surprise when Town fell behind, though the deficit was short lived, Grigg typically converting a Naylor ball in.
Tom, back in midfield, was all over the park, getting forward a lot and Bromley struggled to pick him up, a bit like our struggles to minimise the effects of Danny Imray, the 21-year-old Crystal Palace loanee who was playing right wing back. He looked a player.
Ryan Boot got out of a couple of sticky, or more accurately, slippery situations, but ex-Spireite Grant Smith, in the home goal, erred and was punished after Will harried him after a DJ ball that the keeper felt would roll into the box and enable him to pick it up was nicked by Chesterfield’s #9 and he was able to walk the ball in. A 2-1 advantage at the break.
Bromley came out of the traps faster from the restart and what, from its position, looked an innocuous free-kick was driven in, Sowunmi hit the post and there was the Cheeky Boy to pop home the rebound.
After that, there were glimpses of good play from both sides, but no sustained pressure, no periods of domination that made you think one of the teams was going to boss things and wrestle the points away. Both keepers were under-utilised, and come the final whistle, I think everyone felt that a draw was about right. We’d all have settled for four points from Donny and Bromley, but going from superb to meh in a few days is always infuriating.
Walsall won 4-0 at home on Saturday and lost 6-2 on the same grass on Tuesday. Looks impossible to guess what team will come to the SMH at the weekend, Super Saddlers or Shocking Saddlers. Appropriately, their gaffer is Mat Sadler. Despite their midweek set-back, the team still sits in third place, a point behind leaders Gillingham, who lost at home to Grimsby Town on Tuesday, showing that this division looks anything but straight forward to predict.
Hopefully the injury picked up by Dilan Markanday isn’t too bad, same for Devan Tanton, but with Colclough, Grigg, Madden and Mandeville all getting valuable minutes in their legs in the last few days, the attacking options are growing, whilst the eight goals conceded is lower than seven of the nine teams above Chesterfield (Gillingham and Barrow have let in fewer), so the defensive side of the game is not a major cause for concern.
Two massive home games, Walsall followed by Notts County, will give supporters a great idea of where the team is, and believe it or not, the County contest will be game #11, so almost a quarter of the season will have gone. Feels like we’ve only just started!
Phil’s Positive: Only the third time we’ve got some sort of reward from Hayes Lane, a great boost for Will Grigg bagging a brace and Ryan Colclough showed some glimpses of what we know he can deliver.
Next Match: Walsall (H), Saturday, October 5, EFL2, KO 3pm. Full commentary for subscribers on the new commentary platform (find details on Chesterfield FC website). Build-up from 2pm, half-time and post-match remains on the 1866 Sport App.
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Boot; Daley-Campbell (Berry 63), Dunkley, Grimes, Gordon; Oldaker (Banks 87), Naylor; Jacobs (Metcalfe 63), Mandeville, Colclough (Dobra 63); Grigg (Madden 68). Subs (not used): Thompson, Williams.
Goals: Grigg 19, 37 (Chesterfield), Olomola 14, Cheek 50 (Bromley)
Referee: Craig Hicks
Bookings: Metcalfe (Chesterfield)
Attendance: 2,057 (180 from Chesterfield)
Galaxy Travel 1866 Sport Man of the Match: Chey Dunkley (chosen by Lee Francis)
