Boss looking forward to season opener

Manager John Pemberton spoke to the media ahead of the Spireites’ season opener at home to Hartlepool United this evening (7.45pm).

He said: “It’s going to be difficult because they’re a good side. I’m hoping that we’ll be chomping to get going.

“It’s going to be a tough game, but they all are. They had a good win at the weekend, they have some good players and they play some good football.”

Pemberton was frustrated after seeing Saturday’s game at Wealdstone called-off due to a waterlogged pitch.

“We were surprised that it was called off,” he said. “We had no idea about it being in any doubt or anything. We were disappointed because we were ready to play.

“I would rather have had a game under our belts to assess where we are.”

Pemberton revealed during the press conference that young goalkeeper Dylan Wharton has signed a one-year contract with the club after appearing in a couple of the pre-season friendlies.

The gaffer said: “He has done really well in pre-season and the games he has had. He is a young lad who is learning his trade but when we get Coddington back then we will have three goalkeepers, which is what I feel we need.

“He has got a lot of good attributes. He is a good size, he is a very agile goalkeeper, he just need that little bit of confidence and he has been training around the first-team since we have been back in so it is great for him.

Pemberton said that he feels the squad still needs some additions and revealed that he is close to bringing in someone who is right for the team.

“There’s something simmering but we’ve just got to make sure that it’s right for us,” he commented. “We need the balance of the squad right.

“We’re in the process of monitoring something at the moment. The balance of the squad is more important than filling a gap at the moment.”