Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Grimsby Town 1 Chesterfield 1

League Two Game #25

There are 21 games left for Paul Cook and his team to find the key to the EFL2 promotion door. But what does that key look like?

Over the last ten (46 game) seasons in League Two, the average number of points you need to make the play-offs has been 73 (highest 77, lowest 70). The average to make the automatics has been 83 points (highest 86, lowest 79).

The Spireites sit on 35 points, so to hit an average play-off year, and this season feels like that, everyone beating everyone, only one runaway team, a further 38 points are needed, the equivalent of 13 wins. Sounds do-able. To hit the play-off high point, 14 wins.

Top three targets? That will take 16 wins (average) or 17 (highest), tough, very tough, but not beyond the capabilities of manager and squad if coupled with a bit of luck on injuries and on the park.

I remember former Spireite Brian Scrimgeour telling me about when he was a young player at Dundee in 1978/79. The usually top flight side, down at level two, had just drawn at home with Ayr United having lost their previous match, also at home, to Arbroath, a pair of results that seemingly ended their promotion hopes with 11 games remaining.

The players trooped into the dressing room expecting a dressing down from the Gaffer, a member of the 1967 Celtic European Cup winning side Tommy Gemmell. But he came in very positive, hand clapping, smiling. A surprise. He addressed the squad, said all we need to go up is 11 wins and he asked if anyone didn’t believe that was possible. No-one disagreed. The Dee went on to win nine of those remaining games to win not only promotion by one point, but also the championship by one point. Believe.

No-one would have believed it would have been a draw at Blundell Park. Hosts Grimsby Town, one EFL draw in their last 32 games, Chesterfield, no League Two draws in 11. And you have to say, over the 90, a draw was about right.

The Spireites probably should have made their second half of the first half advantage count, especially after equalising with a last season style Liam Mandeville corner, Tom Naylor near-post header. Great movement by ‘Nayls’, great celebration by ‘Mandy’, who knew he should have scored from the shot that was deflected for the corner.

The impressive Bailey Hobson had a header cleared off the line and Armando Dobra’s body language confirmed he was uber disappointed with hitting high from close in. One of those in, win.

With another huge away following, the Spireites fell behind to an Iceland-Hollywood combo, as Svanthorsson headed Naylor’s headed clearance to on-loan from Wrexham midfielder Jordan Davies to poke home. After a slow start, that concession seemed to wake Chesterfield up and it was one of those days that you didn’t want the half-time whistle to come.

Second half, chaotic, scrappy, anything could happen, but not too much quality broke out of the commotion, Chesterfield’s two full-backs looked the two most composed players. Whilst both sides looked capable of nicking a goal, neither did quite enough to earn it, the main excitement being seeing John Fleck and Paddy Madden coming on.

Fleck’s appearance will have got Statto’s excited. Not only have his first three Chesterfield runouts been in three different competitions, rare but not without precedence (Connor Cook was four), but it means his last three League format games have been for three different clubs (Spireites, Blackburn and Blades) at three different levels (L2, Championship, Premier League). I got our historian Stuart Basson working on that one and pretty quickly he found ex-keeper Fred Barber, who had a loan spell with Chesterfield, played four consecutive League games for Peterborough, Ipswich, Blackpool and Birmingham, the first three of those being on loan from Luton Town. He then joined Kidderminster Harriers in the Conference, so that made it five!! Great work, Stuart.

The players owe us a performance against Port Vale next week. Undoubtedly the trip to Burslem and the performance thereat was the lowest point of this season. Vale have turned things round, winning their last two games after eight winless matches had threatened to derail their season. Feisty afternoon guaranteed.

Finally, a word for Branden Horton. He had to wait patiently, out of the squad after a pre-season injury. He played an odd reserve game with the young players, appeared in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, and was only called up to the squad after the injury list grew and grew. He’s now started all three games in 2025 and is looking in great shape, as impressive as at anytime in his time at the club. He’s put the clear disappointment of the first half of the season behind him and is showing the manager just what he can do. Well done, Branden, a great example of always feeling part of things, a vital part of Paul Cook’s day to day management style.

Phil’s Positive: Madden and Fleck on the park, Metcalfe, Williams, Jacobs & Daley-Campbell coming up plus the possibility of new faces.

Next Match: Back at the SMH Group Stadium against one of the sides that Spireites will want to overhaul, third placed Port Vale, next Saturday, January 25, 3pm kick-off . Full commentary for subscribers on the commentary platform (find details on Chesterfield FC website). Build-up from 2pm, half-time and After the Whistle remains on the 1866 Sport App.

Chesterfield (4-1-4-1 to start): Thompson; Sheckleford, Naylor, Grimes,Horton; Oldaker (Akinola 79); Hobson (Berry 67), Mandeville (Fleck 81), Dobra, Colclough (Drummond 79); Pepple (Madden 67). Unused Subs: Boot, Donacien.