Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Chesterfield 4 Morecambe 1

League Two Game #45

It all boils down to two final day matches*; Town at the Crown and the Class of 92s boys at club #91. Forget Grimsby Town v AFC Wimbledon, not relevant, as Chesterfield can only possibly overtake one of them, not both, and they need to overhaul one of those PLUS Salford City, who travel to next to bottom Carlisle United.

The Spireites MUST WIN at Accrington Stanley, but seven previous trips to the Crown Ground have generated six defeats and a last-gasp, maximum jammy 2-2 draw in January 2011. Miserable. A Spireites win MUST be combined with the already relegated Cumbrians taking AT LEAST a point from the Ammies. Since losing 4-0 at home to Chesterfield, Karl Robinson’s team has taken 18 points from nine games, top form, whilst Mark ‘Sparky’ Hughes’ United have banked ten points from their last five games, also two points per game. Interesting. Two Reds v Blues, zero points for the red teams will do nicely.

*OR DOES IT? There’s another scenario, highly unlikely in this highly unlikely division, that if Chesterfield draw, combined with losses for both Grimsby and Salford, PLUS Colchester United not beating Barrow at home, we’ll be on 68 with better goal differences than the two already on 68 whilst Colchester would max-out at 67 if they fail to win. Not sure I could take that situation from a nerves scenario!

Paul Cook’s side go to Lancashire in more than decent shape. A slightly better than two points a game return since the fourth straight loss, at Colchester United, 25 points from 12 (Accy eight from four keeps the spin on form honest) on a ground that has seen an equal divisional low five home wins (sadly, equal with Carlisle) for John Doolan’s Stanley.

That outlines the task, but what of the Morecambe match? Mauling or meandering? A massive 636 passes from the boys in blue with an impressive 90% accuracy, ten shots on target to two, 34 touches in the box to nine from the Shrimps. Plenty of meandering around the park, but plenty of purpose and output too, some classic #Cookball in there, but we had to wait a while for Will Grigg to open the scoring, and you’ll struggle to find a more Grigg goal that this one. Legs, arms, torsos everywhere in the six after Ash Palmer’s towering downward header, no one can locate the ball apart from the three-yard specialist who calmly analyses the opportunity, moves the ball back a tad before turning to score.

A bit of luck, but luck made through years of experience and anticipation. A 17-point return from the 15 games Grigg missed from December to March shows exactly how important the Spireites’ Sovereign of the Six is to the outcome of a game.

Jordan Slew then did what he never did for Chesterfield. He scored. His introduction at the break gave Morecambe a massive boost, he was extremely difficult to pin down, but his side we only on level terms for two minutes, Palmer slotting home Liam Mandeville’s corner after being denied from a header moments before. The two players that combined for that goal were the standouts on the day.

Sub Ryan Colclough’s run from the halfway into the box teed up both Michael Olakigbe and Bim Pepple, but the Brentford loanee was a tad quicker to the ball to make it a deserved three ahead of Manderville and Palmer combining again for Tom Naylor to just beat Bim to the ball to head in the fourth. Just look at Pepple’s reaction, as he holds his head in his hands knowing he was a gnats whisker off a brace in a five minute period!

Morecambe missed key chances at 0-0 and 1-1. They played with passion but lacked the quality of the home side. Sadly, you could see why they will finish bottom of the pile and return to non-league after a creditable 18 year spell in the EFL, during which they’ve visited Chesterfield on seven previous occasions, none of them lost. But financial struggles over the last couple of years made them just about everyone’s favourites for relegation this season and they probably won’t be amongst the favourites for a rapid return either.

Another win by three or more clear goals, ten of Town’s 18 wins have been by such a margin, including two over promoted Doncaster Rovers (congratulations to them and Port Vale) shows the quality the squad has, and bar those crippling injuries, the play-offs or better would have already been achieved.

Whatever happens next Saturday, at least three big hitters will go up, the two confirmed plus one of Bradford City, Walsall or Notts County. It will be nice to follow them up, but if not, where will the 2025/26 big hitters come from? Chesterfield for sure, then AFC Wimbledon (if they don’t go up), Swindon Town and MK Dons are three of the highest attendance clubs that will remain in the section. Of the clubs set to be relegated, Bristol Rovers look the biggest threat next season, but if all goes to plan next week, we’ll still be looking upwards rather than laterally at least for another week or two.

Dirty Old Town Salford (ironically a city) or Paul Cook’s Town to make the top seven? You can get 14-1 for Chesterfield to get promoted, great value odds, but those same bookies have Salford odds-on to win at Brunton Park, which would render a season extension in North Derbyshire irrelevant.

But in game #46, it’s still all to play for, and we’d have taken that on many an occasion in recent seasons which have seen steady, solid progress from position #20 in the NL in 2020, through to play-off qualifiers in 2021, play-off semi-finals in 2022, play-off final in 2023 and NL champions in 2024. No EFL Top Ten finishes since PC was here last, so whether we’re playing Cardiff City or Barnet next season, Chesterfield’s trajectory is pointing upwards and onwards.

Win at the Wham and it could be The Edge of Heaven and all pile round Club Tropicana, though I’m sure you’ll have to pay for your own bevvies!

Phil’s Positive: Ending the season with just three home defeats; only twice in the 21st century in EFL seasons have fewer home defeats than that been witnessed, 2000/01 and 2013/14, both promotion seasons. Another bumper average home crowd, 8,437, the best ever on Sheffield Road and the highest since 1970/71 (9,636) which included more than 16,000 against Aston Villa and Mansfield Town and over 13,000 v Fulham.

Next Match: Saturday, May 3, at Accrington Stanley. The final L2 match of the season kicks-off at 3pm. All of the build-up on 1866 Sport from 2 o’clock, then onto the commentary platform (find details on Chesterfield FC website), with half-time and After the Whistle remaining on the 1866 Sport App, online and on smart speaker. Hear the first chat with Tyrone Williams after his injury plus post-match reaction from Danny Webb, Michael Jacobs, Michael Olakigbe, Jamie Grimes and Lewis Gordon in the Morecambe edition of After the Whistle on the club’s podcast channels, available Sunday morning.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Boot; Mandeville, Palmer, McFadzean(Oldaker 46), Gordon (Grimes 77); Fleck, Metcalfe (Jacobs 32);Olakigbe, Naylor, Duffy (Colclough 63); Grigg (Pepple 63). Unused Subs: Thompson, Madden.