Chesterfield manager Paul Cook reflected on a “tough day at the office” after the Spireites lost 3-0 at home to Accrington Stanley.
“We never started the game at all, never got a foothold in it,” Cook said. “When you’re a team like us and you’re trying to evolve we’ve got to have consistencies in how we play. One of those consistencies is starting games properly, being aggressive, winning second balls.
“The disruption in the team, players pulling out with injuries is not great. We probably lost three lads in the last 24 hours, and we’d worked all week on our team and how we were going to play, so that was disappointing.
“Then maybe a couple of refereeing decisions along the way don’t really help, let’s have it right, so it’s a tough day for us.”
Chesterfield lost goalkeeper Max Thompson to injury in the warm-up, after Harvey Araujo and Jenson Metcalfe had pulled out with hip and heel issues respectively.
“It is what it is, you’ve just got to take your medicine,” said Cook. “I just think at the minute we are a club who’s got loads of good players, good players everywhere, but we’re not yet a good team.
“It starts with defending, into midfield, organising and going forward. On our day we can be a free-scoring team. Today, when you see Accrington, a bit like Colchester in the second half when everyone’s behind the ball, it’s not easy.
“For our fans it can be difficult as well because we’re trying to be patient, that’s the way we’re trying to form our club and how I like the game to be played, so sometimes our fans have got to try and stay with us. And I do understand the frustration now and again when we play backwards and sideways, I get that as well.”
The Spireites boss praised Accrington, who inflicted Chesterfield’s first home defeat since the first of April: “Accrington deserve all the credit today, all the plaudits. It’s a great away win. Probably looks on paper a lot more convincing than it actually was, but that’s football and we’ve got to take our medicine.
“Well done to John and Ged and Accrington, I thought they had a clear game plan and the lads worked ever so hard for them. Sometimes the harder you work, the luckier you get, and I think Accrington deserved that today.
“No doubt, not just honesty and work ethic, they had some good players as well, so fair play to Accrington.”
