Tooley’s Take

Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context

Stevenage 0 Chesterfield 1

FA Cup First Round

Remember the BBC show ‘Record Breakers’ with Roy Castle, Kriss Akabussi, Linford Christie et al? It ran for the best part of 30 years at the end of the last century. I’m pretty sure that Town’s win at Stevenage would have been gifted a few seconds on that show were it still running!

Why? Hartlepool United, Daventry Town, Braintree Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Scunthorpe United, Anstey Nomads, Northampton Town, AFC Wimbledon, Kettering Town, Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Horsham and now Stevenage. That’s a total of 13 FA Cup ties that Paul Cook has managed the Spireites to victory in during his two spells over the course of seven different seasons.

That tops the previous record of 12 achieved by another two-spell gaffer, Teddy Davison, who achieved his total in ten seasons of Cup football. Unbelievably, also over ten seasons in two spells, John Duncan only led the team to ten FA Cup wins, six of that total coming in that one memorable season of 1996/97!

In what was his 200th game in charge during his second spell (a milestone rather than a record), Cookie’s team not only became the first team to win at Stevenage in an FA Cup first round tie since they entered the EFL in 2010, but his own team won their first first round away tie at a club from a higher level since seeing off Shrewsbury Town 3-2 in 1989, a game that also featured a penalty goal (Bryn Gunn). Last successful Town penalty in the FA Cup? Stefan Payne’s only ever Spireites goal in the 4-0 win at Curzon Ashton in 2021.

It was Chesterfield’s first 1-0 FA Cup win courtesy of a penalty goal since Tom Curtis’s 12-yarder saw off Forest at Saltergate in the 1997 fifth round and the first EVER 1-0 away win in the competition courtesy of the only goal coming from the penalty spot. Well done Lee Bonis, we all enjoyed seeing your enjoyment.

Stevenage went into the game having won seven and drawn one of their home games in League and Cup, half of them to clean sheets, and they came out of the blocks with some haste. Big, fast, determined, organised, everything you need to be challenging at a level one higher than the visitors. But they will have rarely come up against a rearguard as determined as Chesterfield’s was.

Crosses blocked, headers won, clearances of the non-namby-pamby style effected and on a couple of occasions when Stevenage got sight of goal, Zach Hemming was there, diving to the right, diving to the left to protect his net.

Town rode their luck as well. James Berry headed one off the line and, late on, a Chey Dunkley header was like one of those slowed down cartoon sequences as it flew off his bonce, looped up, dipped down and thudded against the bar, surely a red and white shirt would pounce, but anticipation favoured the blues and the danger was eliminated. Phew.

Two home calls for their own penalty award (Chesterfield now own the penalty spot) were ignored by Mr Young and both ended in yellows for home players, ex-Stag Jamie Reid for chelp whilst Jasper Pattenden was pulled up for simulation.

No doubting the validity of Chesterfield’s penalty. A poor ball by giant defender Dan Sweeney was nicked by the rejuvenated Dilan Markanday who darted into the box to be tripped home skipper Carl Piergianni, cue Paul Cook technical area celebrations, cue Bonis booting it in with confidence. Not quite the first for over a year as James Berry scored against Wigan Athletic in the Vertu Trophy win last December, but hey, we’ve all forgotten that one!

Two teams going for it, a full-blooded Cup-tie. Over the 90, Chesterfielddefinitely edged it, but whilst it was never comfortable, it was always assured. It was an away performance, no, let’s delete the ‘away’ and say it was a performance that will take you to where you want to be taken. Every bit as enjoyable as those recent wins over higher level opponents such as Northampton, Wimbledon, Portsmouth and Orient.

That’s five seasons on the trot we’ve progressed at least one round in the FA Cup, a run that’s not been bettered since the 1920s, so fingers crossed we can add to the £47,750 prize money earned as a result of the win; second round winners earn £79,500, losers pick up £21,200. Buxton at home anyone or a trip to Weston-super-Mare maybe? Either of those would do for me.

League action returns in a week. Lowly Accrington Stanley visit Whittington Moor as an archetypal team in the now officially bonkers League Two. Just three wins in the league so far, but the last two were 4-0 over Swindon Town and 2-1 at MK Dons to add to a 1-0 home win against Colchester United, who gave Chesterfield what we all hope will be the seasonal low point! That said, could it be that thumping has been instrumental in the new more pragmatic and successful approach seen ever since? I reckon so.

No Paddy Madden for Stanley, ineligible, as we look to end a run of three successive losses against them at home, including the 3-0 drubbing last season, which also fell on the day of our Remembrance celebrations.

Grimsby, MK and Walsall are all away on Saturday and Notts are on telly at Cheltenham two days later, so a great chance to move up a place or two, but as we all know by now, the team will need to be right on it to get maximum points, no let ups at all; we definitely don’t want to get into another fine mess against Stanley.

Phil’s Positive: Back to back away performances that show all the characteristics a successful club needs.

Next Match: Points are back on the agenda as Accrington Stanley visit the SMH Group Stadium on Saturday, November 8, 3pm kick-off. Build up on 1866 Sport from 2pm ahead of switching to the commentary platform. Back on the app, online and smart speaker for After the Whistle; for the Stevenage version, a link which can be found on the Chesterfield FC website as well as being on podcast platforms, you can hear reaction from Gary Roberts, James Berry, Tom Naylor and Zach Hemming.

Chesterfield (4–2-3–1 to start): Hemming; Daley-Campbell (Donacien 85), Dunkley, McFadzean, Gordon; Naylor, Fleck; Markanday (Darcy 69), Berry (Duffy 69); Bonis. Subs (not used); Boot, Lewis, Grimes, Cook, Tanton, Dickson.