Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Barnet 1 Chesterfield 0
League Two Game #34
Cooks and recipes; get the mix right and the results are stunning. Trouble is, our Cook has a plethora of top quality ingredients, but by his own admission, hasn’t yet found a palatable mix.
Instead of some classic combos, we’re getting pork pie and custard, cake and ale pie, chocolate goose and I scream. Nearly there but not quite right.
First 25 minutes at The Hive, Dilan Markanday had his defender on toast, the ball was sticking to Lee Bonis like treacle and his hold-up play was delicious, Sammy Braybrooke and Liam Mandeville were blending together in perfect harmony.
Crispy passing, but as has been the case for much of this campaign, the seasoning wasn’t quite right, Salt-N-Pepa were desperate to scream Whatta Man, but no-one was there to Push It Real Good. Champagne football soon turned flat.
It was gilt-edged chances not taken at Crawley, whilst at the opposite side of the M25, it was fantastic build-up, but only one terrific opening, not taken, the rest of the fine play frittered away somewhat and our early appetite for the game disappeared.
Barnet, in your face (like Crawley were and like Colchester will be), started to knock Spireites off their game. Passing accuracy faded, hunger went missing, Town weren’t even feeding on scraps, but the defence were keeping the Bees at bay, until their first and only bit of real quality, on the back of not taking the opportunity to clear, led to the game’s only goal from Nnamdi Ofoborh, who’d been instrumental in cooking up the host’s own effective methodology to ruin Chesterfield’s main course after a very promising starter.
Paul Cook’s side mustered up 13 shots, only two on target, both Armando Dobra efforts, and that quantity of opportunities maintains the recent upturn in chance creation. Last six games’ shot counts; 13, 15, 19, 15, 15, 13. The previous 35 games in all competitions this season only spawned 13 or more shots on seven occasions, so one element of play has shown a clear upward trajectory, but the lack of a killer instinct, the ongoing presence of a soft underbelly and the uncanny ability to flatter for a while and then cede the advantage negates the all-too-brief bits of the beautiful game.
Salford was awful, but the game was won, Crawley was full of pomp but two points thrown away, Barnet was briefly beautiful but then just plain bad.
But it was a first defeat in seven, this is hardly catastrophic. It feels calamitous because, in League Two terms, we have Michelin Starred players, we have a celebrated chef, well, a Cook, but we know that the crew we have is capable of so much more and we want to consume it, we need to consume it, and we need to consume it now, starting on Tuesday against Colchester United, who last time round worked out what we wanted to cook up, but switched off our flame.
I’d love to be served up with a 12 course banquet, then a bit more, and whilst scallops, morels, caviar, turbot and chateaubriand will be perfect, loads of comfort food will do the job. Bangers and mash. Winner. Fish and chips. Winner. Tofu. Not sure what that is to be honest, but if it satisfies our hunger, I’ll go with it.
But, PC and players, it’s time for winner winner chicken dinner. A dozen oysters that leave you still a bit hungry versus a dozen Salford’s that tasted horrible but filled you up? It’s got to be the latter from here on in.
Colchester need to leave Chesterfield on Tuesday night starved of opportunities, as do Shrewsbury on Saturday, but that will only happen if there’s no spoilt broth, no spilled milk; the proof of the pudding needs to be six points.
Apologies about the tardiness of the column, I was drinking in the massive draw picked up by Chesterfield FC Women on Sunday and then sharing pizza with the family ahead of our 47th wedding anniversary. Football is important, but life goes on.
Phil’s Positive: Not too many positive things, but the opening 25 minutes shows just what can be achieved, but it needs to be sustained for longer periods and bring rewards when domination is clear.
Next Match: Tuesday 3 March, back at home for Colchester United, with a 7.45pm kick-off at The SMH Group Stadium. Listen to the build-up on 1866 Sport from 7pm with commentary being on the subscription platform, then back on the App for After the Whistle. Hear Paul Cook and Chey Dunkley from the Barnet edition.
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Hemming; Curtis (Donacien 63), Dunkley, Swinkels, Pearce; Braybrooke (Naylor 83), Stirk; Markanday, Mandeville (Berry 75), Duffy (Dobra 63); Bonis (Grigg 63). Subs (not used); McFadzean, Dickson.
Goal: Ofoborh 65 (Barnet)
Referee: William Davis
Bookings: None
Attendance: 2901 (887 from Chesterfield)
1866 Sport Man of the Match: Dilan Markanday (chosen by Josh Marsh)
