Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
FC Halifax Town 4 Chesterfield 2 National League Game #40
Best thing about Wednesday night? It was very dark and drizzly when I got home from The Shay, and I’m certainly no Binfluencer, so it was difficult to be sure which colour bin I needed to wheel out. Gambled on burgundy, successfully emptied on Thursday morning. Result.
As for the morning after the night before, with people wheeling out recycled rubbish about Town’s performance in Calderdale and how many goals the team will concede in League Two next season, here’s a thought; I’ve looked deep into the history books, really subterranean, at every professional league in England, and I’ve not found a single example of a team being relegated next season before this season has finished. Not one single example. Amazing.
And add to that, my research indicated that good managers who are well supported by their superiors, generally review last season, make some tweaks and very often (though not always) iron out the ricks and seek to improve the supporters’ lots. Let’s test that theory a bit using Paul Cook as a random example.
October 2012, joined Chesterfield in EFL2, relegated the previous season, stabilised, finished eighth. Tweak, following season, champions, tweak, following season Play-offs EFL1.
Summer 2015, joined Portsmouth in EFL2, previous six seasons included three relegations and the two lowest positions the club had ever finished in, first season, stabilised and reached the Play-offs, second season, tweak, champions.
Summer 2017, joined Wigan Athletic in EFL1, previous five seasons included three relegations, first season, tweak, champions. Fair enough, relegation in 2020, but the club was in financial meltdown by then.
February 2022, joined Chesterfield in NL, previous season, reached Play-off Eliminator, first part-season, reached Play-off semi-final, tweak, reached Play-off final, tweak, champions elect (Olé Olé). So don’t get hung up quite yet about next season, just make sure you’ve got your ticket for the Boreham Wood match on Saturday to enable us the scrub out the word ‘elect’.
For the record, the Spireites haven’t won promotion on their own grass since the 1930s, so we’re all hoping (and I’m expecting) to see the thick end of 10,000 supporters revelling in what’s been a joyous, record-breaking season and wave goodbye to a whole set of friends garnered over the last six years, many of whom are friends a bit like some of your old school pals, who sign your shirt, and then you secretly hope your paths never cross again! Get your exit tickets before it’s too late.
Yes, it should have been wrapped up at Halifax, especially after excellent work by Ryan Colclough, whose post hitting shot teed up Will Grigg (fingers crossed his hammy was only a bit sore), but then the Shaymen demonstrated how to run on mud and before you know it, at the break Town were 3-1 down. Very poor, but remember, Halifax are the section’s form team, six wins in seven prior to this.
Second half, it soon became four before the visitors woke up, albeit much too late, but sub James Berry brought an urgency to the show that had been lacking, he scored, and a fair few chances were created, some good old fashioned scrimmages and a couple of chances that on many other occasions would have been converted.
Any positives? Yes, a massive one, thousands more will see the accession of the new Kings’ of the National League.
Standing in our way, Boreham Wood, the very definition of the National League. Nathan Ashmore, Jamal Fyfield, Femi Ilesanmi, Tyrone Marsh, plus the suspended Chris Bush and our former hero, Kabby Tshimanga, names and faces that we’ve all learned over the last six years, leading exponents of the essential dark arts needed at Level Five, arts we were oblivious of on our entry in 2018, arts we’ve still never quite mastered, but have improved at (a bit).
We secretly admire these players, these teams, these tactics, but we clearly want away. We’ve tried it, we don’t like it, we just want to hop on the coach and never return. We’ll talk about it for years to come, we’ll even start to pretend we’ve enjoyed it, but now, it’s just about that one point. One measly point. We’ve been greedy, we’ve got 92 of them, more than ever before, but like young Oliver Twist, we just want a bit more.
So, wind your neck in, jettison any negativity, get into celebratory mood and prepare for the first party of its kind in Chesterfield since Easter Monday 1936 when Hartlepools United were beaten 2-0 at Saltergate in the penultimate game of the season to clinch promotion from Div 3 (North).
We’ve had 40 games to date, 29 of them won, the team has scored 97 goals in the NL, is unbeaten at home and have broken record after record. The win at Barnet a few weeks ago undoubtedly led to a bit of easing up, and as we know, if you’re not 100% at it, big mistake, but I’ll take big mistake after big mistake when you’re 20 plus points clear, which if that’s maintained, will be another record margin.
Forget the rubbish, remember the fantastic.
Phil’s Positive: Let’s finish it off at home, can’t wait….. plus the fans at The Shay were magnificent throughout.
Next Match: Saturday, March 23, a televised match against Boreham Wood, Kick-off 3pm, 1866 Sport on air from 2pm. If you’re at the match, assuming the finish line is crossed, listen in post-match for the best reaction. Don’t miss this week’s Weekend Warm-Up with me and Ellie Yates, special guest this week (Friday at 7pm, repeated Saturday, 9am) is coach and former England international Kieron Dyer.
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Tyrer; Mandeville, Williams (Palmer 76), Grimes, Clements; Naylor, Banks; Dobra Hobson (Quigley 82), Colclough (Berry 59); Grigg. Subs (not used): Jones, Jacobs.
Goals: Colclough 31, Berry 79 (Chesterfield), Harker 33, 39, Oluwabari 45+2, Cosgrove 61 (Halifax)
Referee: Ben Wyatt
Bookings: Dobra, Grigg (Chesterfield), Harker, Golden (Halifax)
Attendance: 4,127 (2,304 from Chesterfield)
Netcoms IT 1866 Sport Man of the Match: James Berry (chosen by Josh Marsh)
