Chesterfield 'learn lessons' from last season as they beat Cheltenham Town - reaction
Chesterfield ‘learnt a big lesson’ from last season’s defeat at Cheltenham Town, running out 2-0 winners this time.
The Spireites lost 1-0 at Whaddon Road in February, conceding needlessly in the last seconds. But six months later they returned to set the record straight, scoring two goals in the second-half through Lewis Gordon and Dylan Duffy to make it two wins from two at the start of the new campaign and successive clean sheets.
Danny Webb said: “It was a really good away performance against a team we were poor against last year. We thought we had a few wrongs to right and I thought we did that with the way we set-up. We learnt a big lesson from last year - we didn't throw things away.”
Analysing the performance, Webb continued: “We played in their half a lot whilst also not being a team who were just smashing it. We were putting it in areas and when you have got Lee Bonis running the channels to make some bad balls look good, it puts Cheltenham under pressure. Our boys stood up to the test valiantly. All the lads did themselves proud.”
It was a tight first-half with not many chances, although Duffy had a goal ruled out for offside, a decision Webb said Chesterfield had no complaints over, while Armando Dobra had a volley cleared off the line.
Explaining why it was a cagey first 45 minutes, Webb said: “Because of the way they play, their honesty and the way they bombard your box. There is always a chance you might lose your man or someone might slip. They have got some big lads. We just felt that if we dealt with everything in our own half today and make good decisions in the attacking half, we would have a positive result. We didn’t go gung-ho at 2-0 and try to get three or four but we also did not sit and defend our box for dear life and scrape the 2-0.”
Chesterfield stood firm in the latter stages and had chances to extend their lead through Dobra, Will Grigg and Kyle McFadzean.
John Fleck missed out again due to a cracked rib but he will be back training on Monday.
Chesterfield return to action on Tuesday night against rivals Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup.