Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Chesterfield 2 Notts County 2
League Two Game #11
Town on Sky TV again, it seems to be ‘Vision On’ every week, and ironically I’ve not seen as much drawing on telly since Tony Hart was on every Tuesday! As for leading but ending up level, even Denzel stopped after three Equalizers. Enough’s enough. Ironic that Mr Washington also starred in Déjà vu and, as Will Grigg scored, Man on Fire!
If Chesterfield & Notts matches were a song, it would be the Gibb Brothers’ written Dionne Warwick hit, the key lyrics being; Why do you have to be a heartbreaker when I was being what you want me to be? Suddenly, everything I ever wanted has passed me by. Heartbreaker indeed.
In 2020, Town 2-1 up at home after 89 minutes, lost. In 2021, Town led twice in the play-offs, 2-2 on 89, lost. In 2022, 2-0 up at Meadow Lane, cruising, Langstaff quick-fire brace, 2-2. In 2023, hardly needs repeating, 1-0 up on 86, 2-1 up in extra-time, Notts promoted. If you’re a bit more Led Zep than Bee Gee, you may think more like: Heartbreaker, your time has come. Can’t take your evil way. Go away heartbreaker. Heartbreaker. Heartbreaker.
Whilst it may have been heartbreaking AGAIN, what a match, what a contest, what entertainment. If you’re still disappointed, let me run these past you. Forest Green Rovers 4 Chesterfield 1, Chesterfield 0 Solihull Moors 4, Chesterfield 1 Dover Athletic 2, Chesterfield 1 Woking 3. I could list a lot more.
This level of performance, this quality of competition, this full-house atmosphere, this entertainment was exactly what we’ve craved for, exactly what’s been missing ever since Preston North End in 2015, ever since PC was here last time around. Disappointed? Absolutely! But in another way, delighted. This is exactly what I want to see (but less on the heartbreak side please).
No disrespect to those who’ve worn blue before, but Madden scoring, being subbed by Grigg, who scores, is a bit like lower league fantasy football. Markanday and Araujo performing magically on the park, and we’re not supposed to fall in love with loan players? Not possible!
There’s a heck of a lot more good than bad, and if mid-table obscurity looks like this, I can easily cope with it. That said, this squad and its backroom team are much better than that, and time will prove that to be the case, but (back on the Bee Gees theme), please let me write about ‘You Win Again’ rather than ‘Tragedy’ and ensure our promotion cause is ‘Stayin’ Alive’ for a lot longer.
The game was breathless, two teams who wanted to play properly, two teams who wanted to win, two teams who realise football is part of the entertainment business. Whilst we can marvel about the likes of Dilan, Dobra and co, Dan Crowley (#7), what a baller, Jacob Bedeau (#4), what a superb player. There were very few things I didn’t enjoy in this contest. If it had ended 2-1 to Spireites, it would be down there as one of the best 90 minutes I’ve ever seen Chesterfield involved in. Sadly, it ended 2-2, and it’s still one of the best 90 minutes I’ve ever seen Chesterfield involved in.
Great finish by Paddy, wonderful cross from Abbott for Jatta’s equaliser, all square at the break, Notts just with the edge. Second half, Town on top. Was Will offside? Would clearly have been a VAR call at a higher level. Was the pen a pen? I thought so, but I fully get those who feel it was harsh. It was sadly a tad scrappy from Chesterfield, but so was the leveller, saved by Max, 9,000 cheers, rolled in rebound from McGoldrick, 1,000 voices rejoice. Spireites v Magpies of late in a nano-second long microcosm, nowt but a Rizzla between them. Gut wrenching at the end of a glorious game, a glorious occasion.
Would we take a draw at Rodney Parade on Friday? Like a UK Eurovision song, we’ve got null points at Rodney Parade in our previous visits. We didn’t win in any of our last five visits to Somerton Park either, home of the old Newport County. Indeed, no wins in that part of the world since 1969/70, our Fourth Division championship season, when former Newport player Dave Pugh bagged a brace in a 2-0 win.
Surely it was a sign, a portent, that during the Notts game, someone behind me messed with my cap, and when I looked round to see who the culprit was, there stood the boy (can you still be a boy at 77?) Pugh. Omen for sure. And the lad who played Damien in the original The Omen film had the first name Harvey. Get 10p on Araujo to score! Thank me later.
Phil’s Positive: Everything bar the late penalty drama. The rest is exactly what I want to see.
Next Match: Newport County (A), Friday, October, 18 EFL2, KO 8pm. Full commentary for subscribers on the new commentary platform (find details on Chesterfield FC website). Build-up from 7pm, half-time and post-match remains on the 1866 Sport App. The game will be shown on Sky Sports.
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Thompson; Mandeville, Naylor, Araujo, Gordon; Oldaker (Jones 81), Metcalfe (Banks 69); Markanday (Jacobs 69), Dobra, Berry (Colclough 64); Madden (Grigg 64). Subs (not used): Rinaldo, Grimes.
Goals: Madden 6, Grigg 74 (Chesterfield), Jatta 15, McGoldrick 90+4
Referee: Matt Corlett
Bookings: Banks, Metcalfe, Naylor (Chesterfield), Macari, Palmer, Crowley (Notts)
Attendance: 10,032 (1,032 from Notts)
Galaxy Travel 1866 Sport Man of the Match: Tom Naylor (chosen by Jamie Hewitt)
