Chesterfield host fellow National League side Grimsby Town in final friendly before new season - preview

The 24-year-old striker signed for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal from Boreham Wood on Tuesday.

His arrival has created a lot of excitement around the club and many supporters will be eager to watch him in action for the first time.

The friendly will give the Blues one last chance to get some minutes under their belt and allow manager James Rowe to cast his eye over the squad before they head to Aldershot Town on August 21.

It is not often that teams from the same division play each other during pre-season and especially one week before the real thing starts, but it could be argued that this game is the ideal test ahead of the new campaign.

Rather than potentially beating a lower-league opponent and not learning very much, the encounter should provide Rowe with a good indication of where they are seven days before a trip to the Shots.

Matches between the Blues and Mariners are very rarely ‘friendly’, but as long as the game is played in the right spirit and no serious injuries occur, then we should be in for a highly competitive and entertaining fixture.

The first league clash between these two teams does not take place until December 11 so it is not like they will face each other in a couple of weeks. A lot will have changed before they meet again so this weekend’s friendly will have little bearing when they go head-to-head at Blundell Park.

No doubt Spireites striker Stefan Payne, who was released by Grimsby at the end of last season, will be looking forward to this one and will want to prove a point.

The Mariners are managed by Paul Hurst, who was in the running for the Chesterfield manager’s job before Rowe was appointed.

Relegated from League Two last season, Grimsby have played six friendly matches, beating Cleethorpes Town, Mansfield, Alfreton Town and Boston United and have lost to Rotherham United and Hyde United.

So far they have signed goalkeeper Max Crocombe, defenders Shaun Pearson, Adam Crookes, Sebastian Revan, Michael Efete and David Longe-King, midfielders Ben Fox and Eric Sousa and strikers Joel Grant, Ryan Taylor, John McAtee.

Tickets for Saturday are priced £10 for adults and £5 for under-16s.

Grimsby has been allocated 500 tickets.