Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Chesterfield 3 Horsham1

FA Cup First Round

What’s this sequence then? W6-1, W2-0, W6-0, W3-0, W5-0, W3-1. It’s the results of the first FA Cup match each season that Paul Cook’s been in charge. Gone are the days of the Saturday of round two being every Spireite’s Christmas shopping day. It’s a pleasure to have a bloke in charge who loves football and loves the FA Cup, and as soon as the team sheet was revealed, you knew that progression was demanded and was highly likely. A very strong team and a nine-man bench that probably would have progressed to R2, short-handed, against many of the first round teams!

Chesterfield’s previous two FA Cup appearances against Isthmian Premier League opponents: 2010 and a 2-0 win at Harrow Borough in a championship-winning season and 1999/2000, a 2-1 loss at Saltergate against Enfield in a relegation season. Simple formula there, beat a side from that division equals promotion, defeat leads to relegation. I’d Grimsby that! Yup.

On the final whistle, as a former Wolf Cub and Boy Scout, I wanted to whip out the Bob-a-Job Week sticker saying ‘Job Done’ and stick it in the SMH’s front door. Am I right in thinking those stickers were yellow with a big green tick, pretty much resembling Horsham’s shirts, with their retro-sash? Well, in my mind, that’s a clear ‘yes’.

No stress, no panic, a bit of late sloppiness, but that Job Done sticker was already in my hand by the time sub Chris Dickson, who’ll be 40 next month, fired in a cracker after a rapid counter-attack. He’s got a great pedigree, he’s scored against West Brom and the Blades in the FA Cup and against Marseilles in the Europa League. In front of the magnificent Lard Army as well. I was really pleased for them, though in truth, I’d have preferred the goal to have been in the second minute of additional time!

A lead in the sixth minute was just what you want in ties like this, and what a goal it was. Jensen Metcalfe (best 90 so far?) with a peachy pass to the returning Devan Tanton, delicious delivery for Will Grigg to convert. A few seconds of pure class.

Would have been good to have been two-up at the break, but Town’s defence kept their discipline and kept their head (unlike former Horsham resident and wife of King Henry VIII, Catherine Howard) and never looked like conceding. When Will deliberately (probably not) blocked his mate Michael Jacobs’ on-target shot, saw the ball drop straight to Position A, to make it 2-0, any lingering doubts evaporated. Jacobs was another performing at the top of his game (as were Naylor and Araujo in the heart of the back-line), and his assist led to Grigg’s eighth goal in seven appearances at a rate better than a strike every 45 minutes. Superb.

After that third, a fine run and striker from Dobra, Chesterfield camped in Horsham’s half so it was a bit of a surprise to concede and, after the Hornets’ goal, the hosts lost a little bit of their professional discipline and looked ragged for the only time in the game. But it wasn’t for long and, ultimately, it didn’t jeopardise a really professional performance that, had the need been there, could have seen a move up through the gears. It never needed to get into top-gear, a steady cruise control setting was more than enough to make the draw with £45,000 banked and another £15,000 plus the share of a gate guaranteed, even in defeat.

Accrington Stanley up next. PC’s former club saw off ten-man Rushall Olympic in the Cup and they seem to have turned things round in EFL2. No wins in the opening eight games, ten points in the last five, which have included fixtures against Gillingham (W), Barrow (W) and Walsall (D), so certainly nothing can be taken for granted.

Finally, good to see John Fleck in action at last. You could see his experience straight away, dropping in to fill gaps left by the raiding Lewis Gordon, always availing himself to receive a pass and distributing simply but effectively. It also means a bit of a cup record for Town. Fleck is the youngest player ever in the Scottish FA Cup Final, whilst ex-Spireite Curtis Weston remains the youngest ever finalist in the original FA Cup, making Chesterfield FC the only club to have both record holders in their squads.

Phil’s Positive: Comfortable passage, minutes for Tanton and Fleck, plus the Horsham supporters, the Lard Army, were a real credit to their team and town.

Next Match: Accrington Stanley (H), Saturday, November 9, L2, KO 3pm. Full commentary for subscribers on the new commentary platform (find details on Chesterfield FC website). Build-up from 2pm, half-time and post-match remains on the 1866 Sport App.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Thompson; Tanton (Mandeville 57), Naylor, Araujo, Gordon; Oldaker (Fleck 71), Metcalfe; Jacobs, Dobra (Banks 71), Berry (Colclough 57); Grigg (Madden 57). Subs (not used): Rinaldo, Williams, Grimes, Jones.