After the Spireites’ 2-2 draw at Dorking Wanderers on the opening day of the National League season, midfielder Ollie Banks, who played in goal after Lucas Covolan’s straight red card midway through the first half, gave his post-match thoughts.
He said: “It was crazy, I didn’t think I’d be playing in goal at any point today but sometimes you’ve just got to take what’s thrown at you.
“The lads put an unbelievable shift in and I’ve certainly got a newfound respect for the goalkeepers, put it that way!
“It wasn’t planned before [going in net if an outfield player was required], I just volunteered.
“Lucas has made a mistake and he knows that. We won’t be hanging him out to dry, I can tell you that. We’re a team and we stick together.”
The 29-year-old midfielder also made his 100th competitive appearance for the Spireites in the fixture.
He was impressed with the team’s overall performance and believes a strong squad has been assembled.
“We’ve got some real quality in this side, not just on the bench but also sat on the stands this afternoon,” said Banks. “We should see that in the coming weeks.
“We knew that it was a massive occasion for them [Dorking Wanderers] but it also was for us, we wanted to win.
“We started the game really well, creating chances and getting an early goal. We thought we would be able to kick on but unfortunately that’s not the way it went.
“We respect the point and move on to the next game.”
