Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Chesterfield 1 Gillingham 0
League Two Game #32
That was tough. That was energy sapping (watching as well as playing). That was a perfect way to bounce back after the disappointment of the Harrogate draw. That was also a great crowd performance.
Gillingham wanted to boss the game, bully the hosts and for the first few minutes with long throws and corners bombarding Zach Hemming’s box, the peg was well and truly hammered into the ground. But the aerial defence went well, headers were won, blocks were made, clearances were completed, pragmatism in action, with everyone in Blue contributing.
Before you knew it, after over six and a half hours of football between these two sides, Spireites at last led the side from Kent, the first time the team have had their noses in front against The Gills since September 2016, when Danny Wilson’s Chesterfield ended up drawing 3-3 against the late Justin Edinburgh’s team.
Birthday boy Liam Mandeville’s corner, a destructive late run in and head on from Sil Swinkels then a little stab sideways from Will Grigg, in career game #17 against Gills (equal most with Oldham Athletic), to notch his fourth assist against the team from Kent, with Sam Curtis converting. It’s the first time Grigg has notched up four assists against any club to add to the six goals he’s scored against the Priestfield side. Your morning papers will say assist by Sil, video evidence says it’s Will, whose selfish play throughout was once again terrific; our eyes saw it was a typical Gillingham style goal!
Gills didn’t change their approach after the concession, but Spireites started to gain and maintain control. The game plan worked, but not by employing purist #Cookball tactics, this was all about #Battleball. Chesterfield had less than 50% possession, Gillingham out-passed their hosts, Gareth Ainsworth’s side banged in cross after cross, the stats say an incredible 39, Town made an even more incredible 74 clearances, but Paul Cook’s charges racked up 19 shots, the second most of the season, and despite the bombardment, rarely looked in danger.
There’s been a significant tweak in approach in Town’s last five games (W3 D2 L0). Average possession in those five games has been 51.5% (Previous five 62.2%), average shots / shots on target in the last five, 14/5 (previous five 10/3), points per game, 2.2 compared to 0.6. Possession reduced, shots up 40%, shots on target up 66%, points per game up 366%. Methods marginally modified, new recruits settling in, outcomes obvious.
It could have been more comfortable against the somewhat robust opposition. Tom Naylor, with his first touch off the bench, seemed to think his shot may have been blocked over, rather than on the line, but in truth, after the scrappy goal, Chesterfield scrapped so well, danger was a rarity, nail biting didn’t really come into it.
This was a team performance different to any other this season, better than any other this season. Not the purring purist stuff of Notts at Christmas, but the type of execution that League Two demands to succeed. Are we Bromley in disguise?
Sam Curtis got Jamie Hewitt’s nod for MOTM, but he could have selected many others. For me, Sammy Braybrooke was supreme in both holding and then attacking midfield positions, Sil Swinkels showed his pedigree and the metronomic Mandeville ticked all the boxes all of the time.
There were never swathes of olé football in the game, no-one was ever tempted to say ‘If a Brazilian had done that…’ but it was a magnificent, breathless 90 minutes of commitment from both sides that I thoroughly enjoyed, helped on by the result and the fact that, on the night, the team picked up more points than Notts, Salford, MKD, Bromley, Crewe and Cambridge.
But it has to be rinse and repeat. That’s been the biggest failing this season. Two runs of WWW, one in August, one in December; those apart, not a single WW which seems unbelievable.
Crawley away is the first of two M25 games, Barnet away a week later. Scott Lindsay’s team have won just two in 18, but on Tuesday drew 0-0 at divisional top-scorers MK Dons, with the Reds team including ex-Spireite Ronan Darcy. They drew 2-2 at the SMH back in August and showed they could play a bit, but they don’t have a home grown player in their squad, so can only ever name six substitutes, which has them as a slight disadvantage before a ball is kicked.
Two previous visits to Broadhall Stadium, a win and a draw, but after disappointments recently against strugglers Newport County and Harrogate Town, Spireites can’t afford to take a backwards step after the success against Gillingham. Must win? No. Need to win? Absolutely.
Phil’s Positive: Best team performance of 2026, best battling show of the season. #Battleball.
Next Match: Saturday 21 February, it’s a long trip to West Sussex and Crawley Town, with a 3pm kick-off at The Broadfield Stadium. Listen to the build-up on 1866 Sport from 2pm with commentary being on the subscription platform, then back on the App for After the Whistle. Hear Kieron Dyer, Sam Curtis and Sammy Braybrooke in the Gillingham edition.
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Hemming; Curtis, Dunkley, Swinkels, Pearce; Braybrooke, Stirk; Markanday (Naylor 60), Mandeville (Duffy 60), Dobra (Berry 60); Grigg (Ladapo 77). Subs (not used); McFadzean, Dickson, Donacien.
Goal: Curtis 17 (Chesterfield)
Referee: Will Finnie
Bookings: Beckles, Hutton, Coleman (Gillingham)
Attendance: 7,520 (282 from Gillingham)
1866 Sport Man of the Match: Sam Curtis (chosen by Jamie Hewitt)
