“We can be more than a match for them”

Ahead of the televised game against Stockport County on Saturday (5.20pm), manager John Pemberton acknowledged the threat posed by the opposition but insisted that the Spireites are up for the challenge.

He said: “They’re one of the favourites to go up and they have had a great summer in terms of recruitment. They have lots of talent, but we know what their strengths and weaknesses are. The preparation is the same.

“We certainly want to bounce back from the result we had on Tuesday. We want to play well whether there are cameras there or not.

“We want to be competitive this season in this league. The games are coming thick and fast, we know we are playing good sides.

“Every game is different in regard to what we are up against, but I think it’s a good game for us. It will be very difficult, but we can be more than a match for them.”

Pemberton also talked about where the club has improved and where they are compared to this time last season.

“We’re building. We always want to try and make the team better. We always want to try and improve on the field and off the field,” Pemberton said.

“In the space of 15 games or so, we’ve got a better balance to the squad and we are sitting in mid-table. We are improving but it is not something we can improve overnight.

“It’s one of those that it’s going to be small steps. We’ve added a little value to our squad and trying to build for the future.”

Joe Rowley and Tyler Denton were omitted from the matchday squad against Torquay and the Spireites manager revealed his thinking behind the decision.

“Tyler Denton and Rowley missed out as I had to look at the subs we may need,” he said. “I just felt we needed Haydn [Hollis] on the bench for their set pieces.

“I want a keeper on the bench so really we only have four places on the bench. It’s just the way it panned out.”