Lester happy after Chesterfield win - but no high fives!

Chesterfield manager Jack Lester said there were no high fives after today's 2-1 win over Barnet because standards weren't where they needed to be - but he certainly wasn't unhappy with his players.
Jack Lester (Pic: Tina Jenner)Jack Lester (Pic: Tina Jenner)
Jack Lester (Pic: Tina Jenner)

They stretched their unbeaten run in League Two to six games and lifted themselves not only off the bottom but out of the relegation zone and into 21st place.

READ THE MATCH REPORTLester cut an animated figure on the touchline throughout the game but Robbie Weir’s late winner, on his 29th birthday, means the manager can sleep tonight.

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“If we’d have conceded another at the other end I wouldn’t have slept until Tuesday,” he said.

“It was a tense afternoon, wasn’t it?

“I felt that today, as the game went on to the later stages I was hoping our fitness would be enough.

“I don’t think it was our quality that got us it today, today it was our fight and our fitness levels that got us a result.

“We’re pleased with that.”

He admitted his players perhaps got caught up in the significance of the game, against the side directly above Town when the day began.

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“It’s difficult not to be, the fans have come to see us get off the bottom, we’ve spoken about it all week and we might have frozen slightly.

“But we’ve won the game, from a goal down, which showed great resilience and character.

“It wasn’t our best performance but we’ve won a game. Before we came in we’d won four in 10 months so we’ve got a little bit of a habit, winning three of our last four and unbeaten in six in the league.

“I can’t be disappointed with the players.

“We’ve had a word in there, it wasn’t high fives, it was standards not where they need to be.

“It’s easier to say that when you’ve won the game.”

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The winner was the highlight of the game by far, centre-half Ian Evatt playing a lovely through ball to put Weir clean through and the Northern Irishman added a cool finish.

Lester felt it was a just reward for the fans in particular.

The pick out and the finish was the best bit of quality in the game.

“Fantastic. It’s a great touch, a clever run which we like, too much structure with the ball is easy to defend against, so he popped up and the pick out was great.

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“As it’s gone past the keeper you’re just praying the net ripples and it did.

“It was probably worthy of winning the match because neither team played any champagne football.

“It was reward for the fans for sticking with us. As a player you get an extra yard when the fans stay with you and they played their part today as well.

“I felt the edginess in the stadium at times so we’re delighted to give them a win in the snow.”

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Moving off the bottom of the table and into safety is not just down to today’s result, in Lester’s eyes, but the run of results his men have put together.

“I think psychologically it’s great, I think we’re up there a little bit and it’s important.

“I think the players have deserved it for the effort they’ve put in.

“To go on that run from the state of where they were is really impressive.”

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The Spireites lost both Andy Kellett and Brad Barry to suspected hamstring injuries during the game, and with Laurence Maguire picking up a knock in midweek, there’s suddenly a very busy treatment room.

“(Kellett) has been brilliant for us, a little match winner. We lost Brad Barry as well who has been excellent, we lost Laurence Maguire in the week with a thigh injury so he might be six to eight weeks.

“But we’ve won, that was the important thing.

“We’re patched up, that’s why the squad is so important.

“Brad feels like his hamstring might have gone. He did do a couple of runs after which makes me hopeful it won’t be too bad.

“Kels didn’t train in the week with a tight hamstring and it continued to be tight.

“They probably need a scan in the week and we’ll see.

“We’re running out of numbers a little bit but the results are good.”