Chesterfield deliver 'kick in stomach' to National League promotion rivals with emphatic win against Barnet

After a goalless first-half, a double from Kabongo Tshimanga and goals from Akwasi Asante and Jeff King sealed the victory before the hosts scored a late consolation.

With everyone else in FA Trophy action, the Blues’ victory closes the gap on leaders Halifax to just one point and the Spireites still have two games in hand.

"You know full well that as soon as they (promotion rivals) go in the changing room after their FA Trophy games today they will be checking their phones hoping we have lost and it is nice to say it is almost like a bit of a kick in the stomach when they see that Chesterfield are still going,” first-team coach Danny Webb told the DT.

"We have got a really strong mentality in there and to win promotion you need that. There are a lot of games to go, it is still early days, but what I will say is from previous experience is that January through to the end of the season flies by. We have got to make sure we ride the momentum of victories regardless of what the other teams do. It is important that we take this feeling forward now.

"I think when you win every week you are aware that teams want to be the team to stop your run and we have got to make sure we don’t let them do that.”

Chesterfield missed some good chances to take the lead in the first-half but they were clinical after the break.

“It was an excellent performance,” Webb said.

"At half-time we were disappointed with the missed chances, we could be two or three-nil up. But, saying that, they (Barnet) were quite dangerous from set-pieces and crosses.

"But we knew it was going to be like that and we did not come here and take them lightly.

"It was disappointing to concede right at the end but before the game I am sure everyone would have taken a 4-1 victory.

"The biggest thing the gaffer said after the game was that apart from the performance and the result was the attitude of the subs who came on. To win the league, to get promoted, that has to be maintained, it can’t slip off because you won’t win games.”

Tshimanga’s two goals takes him to 21 for the season and Asante now has two in two.

On their strike partnership, Webb said: "I think it is going in the right direction, I don’t think it is there yet.

"In the first-half there were glimpses of a partnership but in the second-half they came out even more.

"As a pair, teams are going to be really wary of those two.”

Gavin Gunning, who was not involved in the matchday squad, is set to go for a scan on a shin injury

Calvin Miller came off at half-time after suffering an ankle knock and was replaced by Alex Whittle, who assisted the first goal.

Webb added: "Alex has been absolutely brilliant. He is a good player and how he put the ball on the plate for Kabs’ goal was fantastic.”