Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Bromley 2 Chesterfield 0 National League Match #45

Tuesday, 5-1 win. Last six aways, five wins one draw. Come on, this is Town, never expect anything to be straight forward at any time!

Bromley were desperate for a win to clinch a play-off spot, they were never going to lie down and they proved that in the opening 25 minutes when the Spireites put on a show that was a microcosm of many a game this season.

Dominant possession, dominant territory, corners galore, shots blocked at source by flying opposition bodies, but nothing to show for the confident opening, no out of the ordinary keeper action. The flair players flared, but at the critical moment, made the wrong call.

On 1866 Commentary duty, I think I mentioned about three times that I felt that if we didn’t score in the opening 25-minute purple patch, we were likely to be punished. You didn’t need to be a soothsayer to work it out, you just needed to be a Chesterfield supporter.

Bromley warned us a couple of times, a header onto the bar and a quick break or two, before Billy Bingham rifled in a worldy to register his first goal in over a year. After that, to be honest, salvaging a point or better never really looked a solid bet.

Paul Cook bemoaned a lack of consistency in his post-match chats and the players, who last match were at the top of their game, looked like they’d never met anyone else in blue before. The transformation was like a light switch, shining brightly and then, boom, no visible function.

Sadly, we’ve seen it before and, in games as important as this one, the disappointment is heightened, with third-spot control being ceded to Woking (Halifax at home, Solihull away remain), the hurt is intensified, the scrutiny starts, the analysis is initiated and all explanations come up with the same answer. It was a shocker (but we should have been out of sight before they scored!)

Just before the break, another Ravens break led to a penalty. A Chesterfield corner was pulled diagonally back to the left-corner of the box. It had been done a couple of times earlier, Bromley learned, and this time Corey Whitley nipped in to nick it direct from King’s ball.

Head down, 30 yards, 40, 50, 60 yards and into the box at the other end. Ollie Banks back tracked really well, but his challenge was clumsy, penalty, yellow card and Michael Cheek.

Will Evans and Ebbsfleet got a mention as Cheek, the man who’s scored more National League goals than anyone else in history (130, next best is 107) stepped up, hammered the bar and hit the car park. He’s taken 19 NL pens, failed with three, two of those against Chesterfield.

Just as an aside, Macauley Langstaff’s 40 goals this season have come at a rate of one goal every 95 minutes he’s on the park, a new record, overtaking the goal every 97 minutes held by a certain Jamie Vardy!

Ironically, in those final few minutes of the first half, despite being second best, Town did force a couple of more than decent saves from Reece Charles-Cook, but the neat flowing football of the opening 25 minutes sadly never returned.

The second half seemed to be a series of Bromley breaks as Chesterfield pushed on ever more, without looking coherent, and the game was effectively ended by one of those breaks.

Louis Dennis, whose first ever appearance against Chesterfield was in only his second ever pro-game, for Dagenham & Redbridge in League Two, a game won by Chesterfield thanks to an own goal (by the appropriately named Ogogo), burst forwards and his cross in led to a sliced own goal from Ash Palmer.

All in all one of those games in the National League that has haunted us for five years. So often, we just can’t hack it against the more traditional non-league teams who have far fewer resources, add in Maidenhead United and Solihull Moors and our 30 games against those three teams have spawned just six wins. Achilles would have done better.

That said, let it not go unnoticed that in our five season NL nightmare, this will be the club’s highest finishing spot, with the most wins, the highest number of goals scored, the first home play-off game and the highest crowds ever on Whitt Moor.

Right now, it feels like the World is going to end, but there’s plenty more life in the season yet. Halifax or Solihull will come up trumps, and all we need to do is see off rock bottom Maidstone United. (Add appropriate emoji).

Phil’s Positive: Mmmm, I’ll get back to you.

Spireites’ final game in the regulation season is on Saturday 29 April 2023, at home to bottom side Maidstone United. 5.30pm kick-off; 1866 Sport will be live at the stadium from 4.30pm.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Fitzsimons; King (Quigley 69), Palmer, Grimes, Maguire; Banks (Akinola 76), Oldaker; Mandeville, Dallas,Colclough; McCallum (Uchegbulam 69). Subs (not used): Williams, Jones.