Up and down week for Chesterfield

It was another up and down week in Chesterfield’s season that saw us go up and then down the National League table in the space of four days.
Picture Greg Dunbavand/AHPIX LTD, National League, Wrexham vs Chesterfield FC, Racecourse Ground, 02/03/19, K.O 3pm  Chesterfield manager John Sheridan watches on as his side face Wrexham.Picture Greg Dunbavand/AHPIX LTD, National League, Wrexham vs Chesterfield FC, Racecourse Ground, 02/03/19, K.O 3pm  Chesterfield manager John Sheridan watches on as his side face Wrexham.
Picture Greg Dunbavand/AHPIX LTD, National League, Wrexham vs Chesterfield FC, Racecourse Ground, 02/03/19, K.O 3pm Chesterfield manager John Sheridan watches on as his side face Wrexham.

A 2-0 victory at Barnet was a nice controlled display, where once we’d taken the lead it never looked like we were going to lose.

But once the squad was announced for Wrexham on Saturday, minus Carter and Kiwomya, it always looked as though we were going to be on the defensive at the Racecourse Ground.

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It’s clear that John Sheridan is nursing Chesterfield’s two most exciting players through injuries and comebacks; Alex Kiwomya has struggled with a hamstring injury all season and two games in a week looks like it is too much for Charlie Carter at the moment.

Many of us were disappointed to lose on Saturday, although the manner of the goal we gave away was poor.Wrexham were really no great team and it looks like they are going to be promoted. If that’s the standard of a promotion side, surely with John Sheridan being able to draft in a few players in the close season we should mount a challenge next time?

At the Racecourse Ground it was evident to see why our manager wants the side to be better at keeping the ball. We got into so many good positions, but the final pass went astray or players’ touch let them down at the vital moment. The team need to improve in these areas or the manager will be forced to clear out some of the squad

The National League is living up to its reputation of being full of bizarre refereeing decisions and time wasting.

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Keeper Jalal came for a high ball on the edge of the box, caught it and the referee gave a foul for handball and awarded him a yellow card. Many thought it would be red for deliberate handling.

At the other end, Wrexham keeper Rob Lainton showed the likes of Nathan Ashmore just how to waste time and get away with it. In one instance the ball went out for a goalkick on the left, Lainton left it to a ball boy to run all the way from one side of the pitch to the other, the kid then picked the ball up and ran back to the keeper and handed it to him. The Wrexham goalie then slowly walked across to the other side of his area, respotted the ball twice and finally kicked it — wasting three to four minutes, while the referee didn’t even have a word with him.

We have Braintree, Eastleigh and Bromley next and the Blues must be hoping for two wins from those three games.