Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context  

Chesterfield 1 Woking 0 National League Game #28

Chelsea WLD. West Bromwich Albion WLL. Watford WWW. No Cup Blues for the Blues this season. Three midweek homes since the last-gasp loss at Vicarage Road, three BIG wins. Barnet’s last three games LWL, Bromley DDD. Nine points versus three points, no wonder the gap is becoming a gorge, or chasm. Goal #69 added to the headiness and excitement this campaign is generating.

That said, this was a hardworking draw against a Woking side that belied their NL position. After two points from new manager Michael Doyle’s first four games, he rang the changes. Seven switches from their last match, three debuts in the starting XI plus another off the bench, and whilst their first-half ambition was limited, they made it really tough throughout.

As they went a bit more gung-ho, they could have easily levelled, particularly when sub Ricky Korboa hit wide when in a fine one-on-one position (he looked off-side to me; would we have seen a flag if it had gone in?). We rode our luck, but we make our own luck and we showed the characteristics of a champion, getting the right outcome when a little off-peak.

Goal poacher Will Grigg tried to poach another, but skipper Jamie Grimes assured me he got the touch onto Liam Mandeville’s perfect free-kick delivery, his 12th assist of the season, despite Grigg being announced as the hero on the tannoy. I called Grimes on the commentary, I’ve not yet seen a replay, but remain convinced it was the skipper’s third of the season and not the leading scorer’s 17th.

The wind helped to make the game whatever the opposite of a spectacle is. I’d use unostentatious, but I’m not sure how to spell that (no squiggly red line on the first attempt). It swirled, it gusted, it made life for a passing side very difficult. Woking’s narrow space between back line and midfield made getting through the heart of the defence equally difficult, so much of Chesterfield’s play was forced down the flanks. King and Horton were supplementary wingers, but both also showed some moments of excellence in defensive situations as well as delivering plenty of balls into the box.

Tyrone Williams, with very little football in his legs in the last three months was, along with Grimes, extremely solid, the aces in the pack that helped to snuff out most of the threats from the Cards. Williams made a fine headed clearance from one of Woking’s second-half efforts, and he could easily have pipped Jamie to 1866 Sport’s Man of the Match Award. That was the 11th time the pair have started together this season. Ten wins and a draw. Partners.

Will we remember this game by the end of the summer of 24? Not really. But we’ll remember this team’s ruthlessness, their will to win and their ability to win when not quite at the top of their game. We’ll remember getting to 71 points with a game still to come before January is out. We’ll remember 17 straight home wins in all competitions (a club record), we’ll marvel that this match will be watched by almost certainly the lowest NL home crowd of the season, 6,402, which will be the highest lowest crowd of the season since 1950/51, the last time Town were in Level Two (7,421 v QPR). That is remarkable in itself.

Most supporters are already starting to bask in a warm glow, which is incredible as the season is only 60% done, and it’s far from dusted. There are still 18 matches to go, ten of them away, but the momentum that Paul Cook’s side has built up is incredible, unprecedented. To guarantee that coveted top spot, 36 more points are needed, that’s exactly two points per game (current average is 2.5 points per game), still a tall order, but every point dropped by our main rivals will reduce that task and bring every Spireites’ dream that bit closer.

If Woking were tough, Saturday’s visitors will be even tougher. Southend United, without their points deduction, would be in sixth spot. With their transfer embargo lifted, they’ve won their first two fixtures in the New Year and they will come to the SMH fresh, having not played for a fortnight, giving Kevin Maher a great opportunity to integrate the new faces into his group and rest the weary limbs of the players who’ve been giving their all week after week, probably playing through aches, pains and worse. Cook looks to have developed the recipe for success this season, but the Shrimpers’ gaffer has undoubtedly made a silk purse from a pig’s ear.

I normally put My Take together the morning after, cup of tea on the bedside cabinet, giving me time to consider what I’d witnessed the night before, but this one, I had to start ‘last night’ though I confess I nodded off two-thirds through. So it’s just after half-six now, and in a couple of hours, I’m taking Sylvia to the famous Wedgewood pottery for a factory tour, afternoon tea and, the main attraction, she’s got a three-hour stint on a potter’s wheel, something she’s not experienced since her schooldays.

I think it was in my nodded off dreams that, on the journey to Stoke-on-Trent, I will have to try and persuade her to throw down the clay and manipulate it to form a replica of the National League Trophy.

Question. Am I wrong to be having those wholly inappropriate thoughts at this stage?

Phil’s Positive: A solid win in an unspectacular game on a night that Bromley drew and Barnet lost. A mighty 13 points clear with two games in hand. We’d all have taken that back in the summer, but that gap is starting to make every Spireite think inappropriate thoughts at this time of year.

Next Match: Not long to wait now for Southend United to roll into town. The Shrimpers are one of only three teams to have beaten the Spireites this season, so if we avoid defeat, no-one will be able to complete a league-double over Chesterfield this season. That would be a three-season run without conceding such a double, something that’s never happened before. Saturday, January 27 with a 3pm kick-off. 1866 Sport will be on air from 2pm.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Tyrer; King, Williams, Grimes, Horton; Naylor, Oldaker; Mandeville, Banks (Jacobs 80), Dobra (Berry 80);Grigg (Quigley 86). Subs (not used): Clements, Jones.

Goal: Grimes 24 (Chesterfield)

Referee: Dean Watson

Bookings: Dobra, Banks (Chesterfield), Odusina, Andre (Woking)

Attendance: 6,402 (46 from Woking)

Netcoms IT 1866 Sport Man of the Match: Jamie Grimes (chosen by Jamie Hewitt)