Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Tranmere Rovers 1 Chesterfield 1
League Two Game #14
Third on 90, seventh on the final whistle, those fine margins that are spoken about week after week in action.
Biggest two wins of the day in League Two? Newport won 3-0 away and Crawley 4-0 at home. They’re the teams in the two relegation positions. Form of the top two? Walsall DLL, Swindon LDD. Longest unbeaten run? Six games by Barrow, who sit lower mid-table, position #15. Five points separate 13 teams at the top. This division this season, after 14 rounds of games, has officially been classified as ‘bonkers’.
That last-gasp Tranmere leveller hurt, probably the biggest bruise of the campaign. Like the game as a whole, the goal was a tad scrappy, chances to clear, slips and it was scored moments after the 1,000+ visiting fans had given a booming rendition of ‘Sailing’ which seemed set to get the Spireites over the line and enable a celebration of a job well done, but it was not to be.
Before the heartbreak, the play read like an away performance supporters over the years have coveted. Home side out of the traps fast, nip up and nick a goal out of the blue, silence the home fans, play some good stuff, survive a scare when the liner disallows a home goal for reasons unknown, second half starts, scrappy, no flow, bring on subs to regain control, survive a bit of late pressure and go home ecstatic.
Script written and followed until the evergreen Connor Jennings went off-piste to dump Spireites moods downhill. The 33-year-old’s first ever senior goal, back in August 2012, was for Alan Knill’s Scunthorpe at Derby in a League Cup match. The Iron were 5-3 down on 90, Jennings got one of two stoppage time goals and he then scored with the 18th penalty of the resulting shoot-out, only for a certain Tom Naylor to hit the bar and Derby were out. The mood of those two players on the final whistle at Prenton Park looked to match that of that day over 13 years ago, delight v despair.
Post-Colchester, the generosity of Chesterfield in defence has been significantly addressed, things look much tighter, but has it been at a cost? The single goals scored against Fleetwood and Tranmere unquestionably should have been added to and four more points banked, which would have seen Town top.
There were good chances and good opportunities that didn’t necessarily lead to chances on Merseyside. Joe Murphy, 44, who made his Tranmere debut before Zach Hemming had been born, made a couple of top-drawer saves to deny the rejuvenated Dilan Markanday and the back to what we know he can do James Berry, he also clawed out a Markanday corner that the strong wind threatened to blow straight in.
When he was beaten, Ronan Darcy’s shot was blocked on the line after he’d been teed up by Lee Bonis, who could easily have been awarded a penalty in the act of that pass, but referee Oldham, the man who didn’t award a penalty when Michael Jacobs was sent skywards against Swindon a while back, said no foul.
Great chances, but to add to that, how many times did Chesterfield break out of defence and own more space than an Australian farmer, only for a lone defender to be in the right place to prevent the shearer getting to the sheep.
The Spireites’ two wide men were responsible for the early own goal, Berry left his marker in his wake and crossed towards Markanday, who was set for a tap-in until left-wing back Omari Patrick, who’d covered loads of ground to get back, slid in to intervene, only to guide the ball into his own net. The pair were on it from the off and caused a heap of problems for Rovers.
Scrappy, solid, skilful but ultimately soul destroying for Spireites. But let’s not forget, it was an away draw, not a defeat, and after six straight losses on the same grass and no reward whatsoever there in the last 21 years, that point took the team closer to the top spot.
What a massive month November is, four L2 games, three against top-ten opponents, trips to Grimsby and Crewe plus Swindon at home, all after Accrington visit Chesterfield for the next points offering game.
FA Cup action next weekend. Stevenage, second in L1, seven wins and a draw in eight home games in all competitions this season, half of those games seeing clean sheets kept, meaning Alex Revell’s side will be a hard nut to crack. Previous trips to Broadhall Way? Three visits, two draws and a 5-1 defeat in our relegation to the NL season.
Tough, but who do you fancy in Round Two? I just feel this game maybe the one that catapults PCs team into top gear.
Phil’s Positive: Take away the heart-breaker and it was an old-school away match performance that would have been lauded by both Cook and Duncan.
Next Match: It’s FA Cup time and a visit to high-flying League One side Stevenage on Saturday, November 1, 3pm kick-off. Build up on 1866 Sport from 2pm ahead of switching to the commentary platform. Back on the app, online and smart speaker for After the Whistle; for the Tranmere version, a link which can be found on the Chesterfield FC website as well as being on podcast platforms. You can hear reaction from Kieron Dyer, Liam Mandeville, Vontae Daley-Campbell and Ryan Stirk.
Chesterfield (4-3-2-1 to start): Hemming; Daley-Campbell, Dunkley, McFadzean, Gordon; Stirk, Naylor, Mandeville (Darcy 70); Markanday, Berry (Duffy 70); Bonis (Grigg 88). Subs (not used); Boot, Lewis, Fleck, Donacien.
Goals: Patrick og 11 (Chesterfield), Jennings 90+3 (Tranmere)
Referee: Scott Oldham
Bookings: Stirk, Dunkley (Chesterfield)
Attendance: 7,019 (1,067 from Chesterfield)
1866 Sport Banner Jones Man of the Match: James Berry (chosen by Josh Marsh)
