Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Chesterfield 5 Torquay United 1 National League Match #44

It’s morning, a good one. Throw those curtains wide, one day like this a year would see me right. Well, to be honest, ideally four more days like this would see Spireites right. Town’s attacking movement reminded me of 11 dissatisfied customers attempting to be repelled by the hapless Torquay hotelier Basil Fawlty, and no level of stick-beating or moose-baiting by the chim-cheroos was ever going to ward off the relentless waves of blue breakers who, right from the off, were well and truly on it.

Five scored, the visiting goalkeeper was their Man of the Match, making a string of fine saves, chuck in plenty of profligacy in front of goal, and it could have been (delete as necessary) eight / nine / ten / a cricket score / shed loads. Funnily enough, missing a few doesn’t feel anywhere near as bad when you don’t miss five!

Paul Cook made a couple of personnel changes and a couple of tactical changes, the latter being key. DJ switched back to a more holding role and reminded us of the non-standard gravy we tasted many times in the first half of the season, whilst Saturday’s 90+5 super-sub Andrew Dallas came in and was given a totally free role. In the first five minutes, he was here, there, every flipping where, he found pockets of space left, right and centre as the Gulls were unable to find even scraps to feed off.

Despite the domination, it took 25 minutes to open the scoring. Ollie Banks picked up mid-United half and you could hear the low resonance amongst the crowd of ‘shoooooooot,’ which he did, on target but not with almighty ferocity. The ball hit a Gull, changed its flight direction upwards and looped over a stranded keeper. Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, that is what is called a bit of luck, and I mention it because Chesterfield FC have had three-parts of zilch of it during this season and you may have forgotten it exists.

No luck needed after that. The hugely impressive Paul McCallum headed onto the bar, Dallas followed-up, 2-0 on the board, a goal that prompted a tactical switch by Gary Johnson, who went from three to four at the back. It made precious little difference to the balance of play and five before the break, we witnessed another humdinger from the gregarious Glaswegian.

Banksy should have painted an even rosier picture before the break, but the 3-0 scoreline represented the first such Town 45-minute lead since the 7-1 Shrewsbury slamming back in League One in January 2016. And guess what? The opposing goalkeeper that day was one Mark Halstead, the man in green behind the Riviera rearguard.

Mandy, the moustachioed marvel, popped in #4 just 84 seconds after the restart and The Technique was bouncing again, and when a left-sided free-kick from resurgent Assist King Jeff was turned home by Dallas, it represented the first Spireites hat-trick by a Scot since Billy Stark against Tranmere Rovers in 1967. It also meant that Town had banged in five against Torquay both home and away this season and it was the eighth consecutive goal scored by Chesterfield without reply, both more than decent deeds.

A bit of copy-book blotting when United grabbed a consolation, but nothing could take away the glow of a top-notch team performance, a bunch of goals and a five-point lead over Woking with (for them) just three games left. The goal difference bonus is potentially worth a point as we prepare for the Battle of Bromley at the weekend. Kitman Jason is down the gym already.

I know many will chuck in the fact that relegation is a more than realistic proposition for Torquay, but they arrived at the ground as the NL’s only five wins in a row team, but Chesterfield’s whole team were on the front foot from minute-one and they forced a myriad of poor clearances and bad decisions from the visitors that enabled base-camp to be set-up midway in the defenders’ half.

The head of steam that started after the break on Saturday continued to bubble away, players who’d dipped below their early season standards seemed to play their way back into form and the most important element was that the blue and white team was a blue and white team. Eleven individuals at the top of their game, and that can only happen if eleven individuals play as a team. And they did. Champagne #Cookball that we all need to witness in the EFL.

The fragility of football was highlighted elsewhere as United’s West County rivals Yeovil Town joined Scunthorpe United underneath the inescapable trapdoor. Since we moved to Whitt Moor in 2010, both teams have played in the Championship, whilst 2018/19 NL champions Leyton Orient, whose assistant manager back then was Danny Webb, confirmed promotion to League One, and their achievements surely must lay down an aspirational path for Danny’s current club to follow.

Maths says six points still needed, but four will probably do, so avoiding defeat on Bromley’s plastic is the next task in hand. Woking host FC Gateshead on Saturday, and the right combination of results could confirm third spot for Spireites.

So if you’re not able to go, join me on 1866 Sport Live from 2pm for what we hope will be the penultimate trip of the season, with (fingers crossed) only an excursion to Wembley requiring buses to be booked and train tickets to be secured. The sharp end is upon us.

Phil’s Positive: #Cookball back to its brilliant best. That’s all.

The Spireites’ next game is on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at play-off chasing Bromley. 3pm kick-off; 1866 Sport will be live at the stadium from 2pm.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Fitzsimons; King, Palmer, Grimes, Maguire; Banks, Oldaker (Akinola 67); Mandeville, Dallas (Uchegbulam 80), Colclough; McCallum (Quigley 67). Subs (not used): Williams, Horton.