Chesterfield 'relishing' chance of winning promotion to League One

That is the message from manager Paul Cook ahead of this Sunday’s play-off semi-final first leg at home to Walsall. The Spireites pinched seventh place on the last day of the season from Salford City and now they are three positive results away from securing back-to-back promotions.

The Blues host the Sadlers this weekend before visiting the Bescot Stadium the following Friday, while Notts County and AFC Wimbledon battle it out in the other semi-final, starting at Meadow Lane on Saturday night.

Given the season Town have had with injuries, as well as other emotional off-field situations, getting into the play-offs has to be seen as a great achievement, but Cook was not willing to fully agree as he sets his sights on the bigger picture.

“We are delighted, make no bones about it,” he told the DT. “We are relishing the fact that we have got a chance to go into League One and only four teams can now. We haven’t achieved nothing. All four teams, in my opinion, probably go in with equal chances. On the day I think we all feel we can do it. We have got no regrets about our season, we are delighted to be in the play-offs and we are going to give it everything we have got.”

There was drama on the last day of the season as a 1-0 win for Chesterfield at Accrington Stanley, combined with Salford City only drawing 2-2 at Carlisle United, meant that Cook’s men climbed from ninth into seventh. Town were as low as 16th after a 1-0 defeat to Colchester United, a loss which left them 13 points off the play-offs. But whereas many people thought the campaign was slipping away from them, Cook used his 20-years in management to turn their fortunes around.

On making the play-offs, he said: “It is an accumulation of a lot of hard work by a lot of different people. I have always said throughout my managerial career I don’t believe in all the hype about being top of the league in October or bottom of the league in December - it is a 46-game campaign. The final league table is the one that counts. A point in November is just as good as a part in March and May.

"When we lost at Cheltenham (in the last minute in February), that was probably the worst I have been after a game because I know how important a point is. I have been around football long enough to know that every point is gold. It is not the final day of the season that counts, it never has been and it never will be, it is an accumulation of points that you deserve over that period of time.”