In a battle at the top of the Vanarama National League table, the Spireites travel to The Shay on Monday, where they will face FC Halifax Town. The mouth watering tie is the chosen feature on BT Sport, with kick-off at 5.20pm.
The Shaymen have won only two of their last five games and go into the game having most recently dropped two points in a 1-1 draw whilst on the road to Altrincham. A game defined by narrow margins; Kian Spence gave the promotion hopefuls an early lead before Harrison Perritt ruined the Easter celebrations for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Whilst the side have picked up only two wins, the club have only suffered one defeat in the same run; coming in a 2-0 defeat to relegation threatened King’s Lynn Town. Josh Barrett and Gold Omotayo were on target as the Linnets sparked a major upset, denting the hopes of Halifax for automatic promotion.
League Standings
| Club | League Position | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Points |
| FC Halifax Town | 3rd | 22 | 8 | 8 | 56 | 30 | 74 |
| Chesterfield FC | 5th | 19 | 13 | 6 | 64 | 40 | 70 |
Four points divide the two clubs as we head into the season-defining match. A game that we could very well see in the play-offs, both clubs may even use this encounter as a dress rehearsal for a potential match up in the post season.
Whilst four points separate the two sides, the breakdown in statistics paint a vivid picture for the two sides season. Halifax have remained compact and defiant in defence, conceding on average 0.79 goals per game, compared to the 1.05 as recorded by Chesterfield. In fact, only Boreham Wood present a better defensive display than the Shaymen this season, who themselves have played two games less than the Yorkshire side. As a result of their defensive resilience, the club have kept 17 clean sheets this season, which is currently two better than Chesterfield as we head into the standout fixture of Easter Monday.
Halifax may have a stronger defensive record; however, Chesterfield showcase their might and power going forward. Out of the current sides in the play-offs, the Shaymen offer the worst record in front of goal, with only the Wood scoring less goals out of the top ten sides in the division. On average, the Spireites have been netting 1.68 goals per game, compared to the 1.47 of Halifax.
Head-to-head Record
| Home Side | Record (Date) | Away Side |
| Chesterfield FC | 1-1 (28th December 2021) | FC Halifax Town |
| FC Halifax Town | 1-2 (29th May 2021) | Chesterfield FC |
| Chesterfield FC | 1-2 (20th April 2021) | FC Halifax Town |
| FC Halifax Town | 1-0 (28th December 2019) | Chesterfield FC |
| Chesterfield FC | 2-3 (3rd September 2019) | FC Halifax Town |
The recent history between these two has presented entertaining and nail-biting matches. Whilst only one of the last five games have ended in a stalemate, all of the wins that have been picked up during this period have been won by a single goal.
Last season, the honours were left even as both sides picked up away wins by a 2-1 scoreline. At the Technique Stadium, Kairo Mitchell scored the only goal for the Spireites as Jeff King and Jake Hyde netted to help Halifax beat Chesterfield. A month later, in May 2021, Chesterfield would get their own revenge as Liam Mandeville and Nathan Tyson scored the goals.
In the meeting earlier in the current campaign, the spoils were shared as Matthew Warburton gave Halifax an early lead before the Spireites left it late to steal a point through Jack Clarke.
By Sam Plummer
