“It’s an early Christmas present for everybody”

Manager James Rowe admits he could hardly believe it when the Spireites were drawn away against Chelsea in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Speaking to 1866 Sport, he said: “It was a ‘pinch yourself’ moment. Anything now is a bonus for the club after the win at Salford and this certainly is a big bonus for us.

“It is incredible and fantastic for everyone for the club. I’m just so happy for the Trust because of the hard work that’s gone in. They stuck their necks out when the club needed them and they’ve got their rewards now.

“It puts us back on the map. We’re playing the champions of the world away from home! It’s a great marker for us.”

While relishing the prospect of facing the London giants, Rowe is mindful of the need to concentrate on the task in hand in the National League.

“It’s an early Christmas present for everybody and we can really look forward to that, but the main target is promotion,” he said.

“We’ve got some big games in between and we’ve got to keep our focus now and everything goes into Grimsby.”