Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Chesterfield 1 Cheltenham Town 0
League Two Game #40
It was a Good Friday indeed. A Spireites win, whilst four of the team’s main rivals for the final play-off spot dropped points, with only Oldham Athletic bagging a maximum, so it’s back in the top seven for Paul Cook’s team.
And 1-0 home wins on Good Friday’s are rare, that’s the first single goal win on our grass on this festival day since West Ham United were beaten in 1933, and before that, the other West, that’s Bromwich Albion, were outpointed in 1908. There were also 1-0 home wins on the Good Friday’s of 1900 and 1901 against Loughborough and Leicester Fosse respectively.
Back to back 1-0 wins, Weymouth at home and Eastleigh away (on Good Friday) the last time that happened, March 2021 the date, play-offs achieved, whilst the last in the EFL were against Walsall (H) and Bradford City (A) in the race towards the League One play-offs in March 2015.
Last back to back 1-0 wins with the same scorer? Inevitably during the reign of the 1-0 King, John Duncan, August 1996, Walsall home and Gillingham away, both scored by the man whose most famous goal of that 96/97 season didn’t count, Jonathan Howard. Well done Will Dickson.
Whilst the referee on that fateful day at Old Trafford got the call wrong, it was good to see James Durkin, son of former top ref Paul, performing well, whilst Bolsover’s own Glenn Turner tells me Cheltenham striker George Miller is the nephew of Mark Halsey, a former FIFA referee, whose biggest ever game in the middle was Tommy Lee’s Testimonial Match in 2018!
The game? Decent, quick start, front foot, crisp passing, the goal deserved. A terrific, patient build-up before Kyle McFadzean slipped in Liam Mandeville whose perfect cross was volleyed in from close quarters by the man of the moment, adding to his winner at Accrington Stanley.
James Berry went close, Ryan Stirk went closer, I was writing down ‘goal’ when Tom Naylor headed his great chance, but the lower division’s bonce boffin’s effort somehow was a whisker wide.
Woodwork won the duels in the second half. Armando Dobra, twice, Dilan Markanday and Dylan Duffy all smashed against the frame just as we were seeking a calming second, whilst Ryan Boot nonchalantly rolled the ball along the top of the crossbar for about a yard to enable him to grab it on the way down, shortly after shinning away a shot from Jordan Thomas. Two league games for Boot, two shut-outs. Just four saves needed from Booty in 180 minutes. Solid.
It won’t be a game we talk about in years to come, but it was a controlled, more than decent show on a day when Harrogate Town proved what a lottery L2 is this season, and the three point afternoon has put Chesterfield’s destiny back in their own hands.
The manager’s transfer window shopping has undoubtedly helped to increase the team’s shot-count. In the last dozen games, 11 have seen at least 13 shots from Spireites, only seven of the previous 28 games in EFL2 generated 13 or more shots, whilst the last couple of games has seen the team as a whole defend really well after the disappointment of the Oldham defeat.
Monday sees the long trip to Barrow, fighting for their lives, a great 0-0 at the section’s top scorers MKD on Friday followed on from their 2-1 win over leaders Bromley to end their long unbeaten run. Interim boss Sam Foley’s giving them a chance to get out of the bottom two. He’s still registered as a player, but he wasn’t in the Bluebirds’ squad at MKD, a squad that, due to the homegrown player rule, can name only six subs on a matchday. Ex-Spireite Charlie Raglan is out after a knee operation whilst Jake Earing was subbed after just six minutes on Friday making him doubtful.
Town won 1-0 at Barrow last season thanks to a late-ish goal, his only one of the season from Michael Jacobs. If Chesterfield manage a back to back win at Holker Street, it will be the first such double since wins there in 1929/30 and again in 1930/31, the latter season being a promotion campaign. Fingers crossed.
Last season’s final six Spireites games spawned three wins and three draws, 12 points, which if matched would take Town to 77 (last season 70 points was enough for seventh).
Monday’s got some interesting fixtures that could cause a few changes in the chasing pack, Oldham v MKD, Swindon v Walsall and Crewe v Salford, whilst Grimsby travel to relegation threatened Crawley and Barnet make the trip to Fleetwood.
But victory for Chesterfield and the rest don’t matter.
Phil’s Positive: Back to back wins, back to back clean sheets, back in the play-off zone.
Next Match: After nearly two weeks waiting for the Good Friday match, just three days for the Easter Monday trip to Barrow, that’s April 6l, 3pm kick-off. 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 from Kieron Dyer, James Berry, Liam Mandeville and Ryan Stirk in the Cheltenham podcast.
Chesterfield (4-3-3 to start): Boot; Mandeville (Curtis 88), McFadzean, Swinkels, Owolabi-Belewu (Donacien 66); Naylor (Dobra 66), Braybrooke, Stirk; Markanday, Dickson (Bonis 66), Berry (Duffy 66). Subs (not used); Hemming, Fleck.
Goal: Dickson 25 (Chesterfield)
Referee: James Durkin
Bookings: Mandeville (Chesterfield), Cundy (Cheltenham)
Attendance: 8,072 (270 from Cheltenham)
1866 Sport Man of the Match: Sammy Braybrooke (chosen by Josh Marsh)
