Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Chesterfield 1 Gillingham 1

League Two Game #41

I’m sure we all feel somewhat deflated at what we all hoped would be a good year (too tyred to think of anything else), but it’s definitely been a Van Gogh season, too many drawings at home.

Will Grigg, much missed during his injury, swept a left-footer in to equalise against a tough and uncompromising Gillingham, a long range ten-yarder after John Fleck’s inch perfect pass to Ryan Colclough enabled him to roll the ball in for the assist.

Sadly, the more than deserved point it earned makes the gap to seventh spot, with just five games to go, look like an unbridgeable chasm. If the team can’t make seventh, then target eighth, I’d be encouraged with that. Why? Last eight place? 2012/13, following season, Champions. Eighth place before that? Final season at Saltergate, which preceded 2010/11 and a championship season. I’ll take a hat-trick in that regard!

Another early-ish concession in a bit of a nothing first half. Much improved after the break, but not enough to worry 41-year-old keeper Glenn Morris often enough, indeed the stats show, goal apart, he didn’t need to make a single save in the game, the only other Town shot on target was blocked by a defender. The killer stat? As I noted a few games ago, if the Spireites have between 70% and 79.9% possession, they don’t take maximum points. That’s game #7 in the 70s, two lost, five drawn. Frustrating.

Plenty of physicality in the game. Referee Mr Woods, incidentally the man in charge when George Carline’s knee was smashed at Wrexham in a challenge that wasn’t a foul, didn’t earn any popularity contests on the night, booking Paul Cook, his sixth yellow (plus one red) of the season, so he’ll no doubt be absent from the bench on Saturday.

Two of the Gills’ three centre-backs, Gale and Ogie, had terrific games, both had flawless first halves keeping Dylan Duffy and Michael Olakigbe quiet. Scorer Nevitt, left-sider Rowe and Welsh Euro semi-finalist Williams, in the engine room, all had stand-out performances in a show that manager Gareth Ainsworth said afterwards matched his game plan pretty well.

Loads of effort from the boys in blue, but for the ninth time this season, just a single point from an SMH encounter. If just three of those had been turned into wins, the Spireites would be seventh and contemplating another upward movement. Salford and Notts had late levellers from the visitors, how on earth Town didn’t secure a win over Harrogate Town, we’ll never know. Definitely an ifs, buts and maybes season.

Pete Wild’s Fleetwood Town next up. They epitomise the inconsistencies seen all around League Two this season. Last ten games, four wins, three draw, three defeats. Last game, conceded four at home to Swindon, game before that, scored four in a win at Accrington. Which Fleetwood will turn up? Which Chesterfield will turn up?

It’s not quite time to start to analyse the season as a whole, but 41 games in, we know it will be the club’s best finishing position in the pyramid since relegation from League One in 2017. Continuing the annual progress since PC returned to the club and once again, it will be the highest average attendance in well over 50 years.

But it will be seen as a season of missed opportunities, despite the horrendous, unprecedented injury toll which means for me, had the play-offs been reached (and there’s still a chance of that, albeit extremely slim), I’d be tempted to say it would have been Cookie’s greatest achievement here on Whittington Moor. If we finish eighth and repeat what we did last time, it’ll definitely be one over the eight for me in a year and a bit’s time. And do you know what, I can really see that happening.

Phil’s Positive: Kyle McFadzean back on the grass, Will Grigg back of the net.

Next Match: Saturday, April 12 at home to Fleetwood Town. The match kicks-off at 3pm. All of the build-up on 1866 Sport from 2 o’clock, then onto the commentary platform (find details on Chesterfield FC website), with half-time and After the Whistle remaining on the 1866 Sport App, online and on smart speaker.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Boot; Mandeville, Palmer, McFadzean (Grimes 69), Gordon; Fleck, Metcalfe (Dobra 69); Olakigbe, Madden (Banks 80), Duffy (Colclough 69); Grigg (Pepple 86). Unused Subs: Thompson, Naylor.