Rowe: “I’m really proud of the players and staff”

Following the Spireites’ 1-0 win over Notts County at Meadow Lane, James Rowe was full of praise for his side’s work-rate and performance.

He said: “I thought the first half is the best we’ve played since I’ve been here. The opposition are a good team with good structure, but we didn’t give them a second to breathe.

“The second half they came into it. They had a good spell for 15-20 minutes and changed their shape. We gained back control and we really should have killed the game off.

“I’m really proud of the players and staff. We’ve worked incredibly hard since Wednesday and I think that showed.

“It’s a great win. It is a shame that the supporters couldn’t be here. It’s nice to get that win. We want to wear that badge with pride and I think we showed that again today.”

Grant Smith replaced Adam Przybek in goal to make his debut for Chesterfield. Rowe was impressed with the shot-stopper’s performance.

“Grant was going to play in the FA Trophy against Aldershot. He deserved his opportunity. I want to see him and Adam [Przybek] play. Both will play in the future,” Rowe said.

“I want to give him credit. He came for things, his kicking was excellent and his communication was good as well. A good display from him.”

The Spireites face a tough run of fixtures as they look towards the rest of the season, with Altrincham and Stockport County next up for Rowe’s men.

The manager knows exactly what is ahead of them, stating: “We’ve got to push through now; we’ve got to be strong. We need to use the squad and we need to play with a tempo.

“We know what’s ahead of us, we know the schedule. Everybody is ready and I think that showed today.”