SpireitesTV Commentator Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Chesterfield 3 Barnet 3
League Two Match #5
What a week on Whittington Moor! Total domination on Tuesday; draw. Second best in a thriller on Saturday; draw. Toothless Tuesday, scoring Saturday; midweek solidity, weekend softness. Enough in the two games to study for a doctorate.
Barnet arrived in town 13 unbeaten in the EFL, Chesterfield searching for a first home win this season and the early exchanges clearly showed that the visitors were the more confident side, showing signs of being a real contender. They moved quickly with the ball at their feet whilst being happy to launch it if necessary, they won way over 50% of the 50-50 balls, they frequently made the home rearguard look jittery and they forced Paul Cook’s side to pass poorly. Best opponent so far by some way.
It was no surprise when they took the lead. Debut maker Alfie Pond blocked a shot, corner, taken short by summer recruit from Forest Green Rovers, Tom Knowles, who received the ball back, skipped by two in blue and delivered a pinpoint shot into the top corner. Great shot, less than great defending. Even at that relatively early stage of the game, it felt terminal.
As the break approached, Spireites picked up an advanced throw, Remeao Hutton launched it, Zac Williams got a defensive header on the ball which fell into the ‘D’ for first time starter Louie Marsh to calm-as-you-like half-volley it towards the top corner, it hit wood and ricocheted to hammer in an early peg in the Goal of the Season ground.
It was the Blades’ loanees first goal since February, scored three days after playing in front of 58,000 at Celtic Park, for Falkirk, in a 2-1 win at Livingston alongside ex-Spireite Calvin Miller.
That sparked Spireites into action, Liam Mandeville went close and it was one of those ‘we don’t want half-time to come’ sort of passages of play, but sadly it didn’t come soon enough. Scrappy play at the back led to a Bees corner, again taken short, again Knowles receives and delivers, this time for Williams, another man who played at Celtic last season (on loan from Crewe to Kilmarnock), to head in deep into added time, a huge blow for the hosts. Two concessions from two corners.
Barnet restarted brightly, Ryan Boot denied Charlie Lakin with an outstretched leg and Idris Kanu’s shot in the same phase of play was blocked by Hutton but Chesterfield, who’d stepped up somewhat having brought on Josh Koroma and Lee Bonis, and they drew level with a pure #Cookball goal.
McEachran, Simpson, Marsh, Gordon to Koroma, all quick, crisp passes, then the switch from left to right with a superb ball to Hutton from Koroma. Cross in from the right to Dilan Markanday, quick shuffle to his left foot, shot, saved, in moves Marsh to convert, another terrific goal, very different to Town’s first, a goal that the home technical area will have loved.
Sub Tom Naylor almost found a gap with a header from fellow replacement Joel Randall’s corner as Chesterfield threatened a previously unconsidered win, with another bench-starter Lee Bonis causing havoc with his non-stop hassle-based running.
But a route one free-kick from keeper Matthew Cox was nodded on and Kabby Tshimanga, not for the first time on this grass, reacted the quickest to score what seemed to be a last-gasp winner.
Then a bit of Chesterfield’s own long-ball play. Pond goes long, Bonis chases what looked a lost cause, somehow manages to get in a cross and Randall stooped low to head into the empty net from close range for what, he told me afterwards, was only his second ever headed goal, his first coming for Exeter City at a deserted Salford City, during the Covid pandemic, for his first ever goal in the EFL, and having watched it on video, it may have been from even closer range than this one!
The game could even have been won by Chesterfield; Koroma started a move in his own half, swift interchanges as the ball moved forwards for Randall to lay it back to Koroma whose on-target blast was brilliantly saved by Cox; wow.
Two goals in his first start from Marsh. Andy Scott, also on loan from Bramall Lane, was the last Spireite to do that in the EFL against York City in 1996, though Mike Fondop, now with next week’s opponents Oldham Athletic, bagged a first-game brace at Barnet in the National League in 2019. Randall became the first debut scoring sub since Dan Gardner against Bury in 2014.
I’m struggling to think of a game in which Chesterfield have equalised three times, still working on it, but I do remember Colchester United equalising three times in a 3-3 draw in 2015 after Drew Talbot was sent-off at 0-0, Jones, Novak and Morsy’s goals were all levelled with a Charlie Raglan last minute own goal being the final act.
A word too for Kiano Dyer, who came on for his first taste of EFL football having played in the Vertu and its equivalent for Chelsea, as well as appearing for them in the EuropaConference League plus, for Volendam, in The Netherlands top-flight. He is extremely well thought of at Stamford Bridge.
Boundary Park next weekend, wrap-up warm. Oldham lost 2-0 at Tranmere on Saturday despite outshooting the Wirral based team 22-9. The Latics have won their only two home games so far, 2-0 against Vale and 3-0 over Swindon and with Kane Drummond sure to be zipping around, it will be another real tester.
Phil’s Positive: The new boys being in amongst the goals.
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Boot; Hutton, Pond, Simpson, Gordon; Stirk, McEachran (Naylor 81); Markanday (Randall 86), Marsh (Dyer 81), Mandeville (Koroma 58); Bryden(Bonis 58). Subs (not used); Eccleston, Lamptey.
Goals: Marsh 39, 71, Randall 90+3 (Chesterfield), Knowles 29, Williams 45+3, Tshimanga 88 (Barnet)
Referee: Leigh Doughty
Bookings: Pond, Hutton, McEachran, Randall (Chesterfield), Kanu, Gallagher, Comley (Barnet)
Attendance: 7321 (252 from Barnet)
Spireites TV Man of the Match: Louie Marsh (chosen by Ben Smith)
‘After the Whistle’ is available on your podcast channels. Hear from Danny Webb plus the two Spireites scorers on the Barnet edition.
