Phil Tooley takes a look at the game and its context
Chesterfield 0 Fleetwood Town 1
League Two Match #1
That was like being kicked in the teeth after you’ve taken your dentures out.
It wasn’t expected and it hurt, but the social media noise witnessed after the game has been insane. I naturally have a positive outlook, but after one game in the EFL, what I’m seeing and hearing in completely out of kilter with the reality of the situation.
I try and put things into some sort of context in this column, and I understand the immediate context. Four consecutive competitive games without scoring (coming after a run of W6 D2 in eight) with, in the two games each with Notts and Cods, an average of less than three shots on target per 90 minutes, despite around an average of two-thirds possession in each. Very frustrating, clearly not good enough in front of goal.
Score the penalty against County, different contest; hack the ball clear at Highbury ahead of Evans’ goal, anything could have happened; bury the header immediately before Evans converts again, you’d expect to bag the win. Ifs and buts of course, but in the last four games, it’s been about the narrowest of narrow margins, not taking gilt-edged chances and erring at vital times. Easy to say, tough to rectify.
In the game this weekend, Spireites had three great chances before the concession, all would have been expected to have been taken, whilst there were a couple more fantastic openings after the break; unfulfilled.
Ched Evans’ two goals in the two games against Fleetwood, his sixth and seventh in six matches against Chesterfield, to match the seven he scored in 29 appearances as a Chesterfield player, were both from positions that wouldn’t even have been classed as half-chances. He was thedifference between the teams in both games. Not possession, not tactics, not team selection, just two pieces of great anticipation, two fantastic finishes.
Remeao Hutton again showed what he can do, crosses galore, the team needs to take more advantage of those. In the first half, Josh Koroma carved a few good openings, not so many after the break, whilst Dilan Markanday had an excellent second half, but couldn’t quite make his skills prise open the very well drilled Fleetwood rearguard. Individual flair needs to be converted into teamwork with a measurable output.
The team played in a style the manager wants to see, but it’s positive outcomes at the sharp end that supporters want to see. Paul Cook has plenty in the bank to show that’s exactly what he can deliver, you just have to look at his record with Chesterfield.
Six complete seasons in charge, an average of 80 points over a full season and 1.7 goals a game scored. In the six complete seasons with others in charge between Cook’stwo spells, 52 points a season and 1.2 goals per game were the averages. Two Championships (plus four play-offs) versus two relegations (and one play-off); big uplifts.Chesterfield Football Club has a proven winning manager in charge. Be careful what you wish for.
The home defeat was a sickener for sure, hard to take after the summer break, but Fleetwood started both games with ten players who were at Highbury last season, they know each-others play well. Chesterfield had five debut makers in the starting eleven. Last season, Evans scored eight goals in over 50 appearances compared to 17 from Lee Bonis in a similar number of games. Not excuses, just facts.
League Two’s evens favourites for promotion (bonkers odds) Salford City, out of the Carabao Cup and below Chesterfield in the one-game table, host Spireites next week. With a new boss, relatively unknown in England, Australian Peter Cklamovski, in charge and a whole host of new signings, they clearly are taking time to gel, so it looks set to be a race to find the right kind of balance and the right kind of form for two teams expected to do well this term.
Spireites have won their last three visits to Moor Lane, all to clean sheets. Last season’s last gasp 1-0 win there was very welcome, but the performance was far from easy on the eye, but I’m sure every Chesterfield supporter would take exactly the same again to get the W column up and running.
Phil’s Positive: I won the quiz set by my granddaughter Pippa before the game. I have the certificate and bar of Dairy Milk to prove it (not true, the chocolate has been eaten!)
Chesterfield (4-2-3-1 to start): Boot; Hutton, McFadzean,Simpson, Gordon (Owolabi-Belewu 87); Stirk, McEachran(Naylor 87); Markanday, Sotiriou (Mandeville 67), Koroma(Aniskjo 87); Bonis (Bryden 67). Subs (not used); Eccleston, Lamptey.
Goal: Evans 35 (Fleetwood)
Referee: Alan Dale
Bookings: McFadzean (Chesterfield), Evans, Cirino, Neal.
Attendance: 7859 (179 from Fleetwood)
Spireites TV Man of the Match: Josh Koroma (chosen by Jamie Hewitt)
