Chesterfield thrash Wealdstone to boost promotion hopes

Chesterfield boosted their promotion hopes with an impressive and vitally important 4-0 hammering of play-off chasing Wealdstone.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Spireites took the lead on 34 minutes when Paul McCallum scored his second penalty in as many games after Liam Mandeville was tripped in the box.

Mandeville doubled the lead from close-range during first-half stoppage time and then just before the hour Andrew Dallas scored his first goal for Town when he applied the finish to Ryan Colclough’s low cross.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Colclough grabbed a fourth with 13 minutes remaining when he sensationally chipped Stones goalkeeper Samuel Howes from about 35 yards.

Liam Mandeville scored in Chesterfield's win at Wealdstone.Liam Mandeville scored in Chesterfield's win at Wealdstone.
Liam Mandeville scored in Chesterfield's win at Wealdstone.

This was the Blues’ most important win of the season to date because it means they close the gap to third-placed Woking, who they face on Saturday, to just three points, which sets up this weekend’s clash perfectly.

The victory extends Chesterfield’s mini unbeaten run to four, which includes three successive away wins.

The four goals scored will also be a massive confidence boost after struggling in front of goal in the last two months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Paul Cook opted to make four changes from the draw against Yeovil Town on Saturday. Jeff King, Ash Palmer, Mike Jones and Ollie Banks replaced Ryheem Sheckleford, Tyrone Williams, Darren Oldaker and Tim Akinola.

Former Spireite Joel Taylor, who signed for Wealdstone on the day of the game after leaving Notts County, was among the substitutes for the hosts.

Chesterfield were in a commanding position at half-time thanks to McCallum’s penalty and Mandeville’s sixth goal of the season.

Wealdstone showed their attacking intent when Dominic Hutchinson tested Ross Fitzsimons from the edge of the box in the first 20 seconds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Spireites responded when Mandeville fed Dallas but the forward swept the ball over the bar.

As the snow came down the game was halted for about six minutes when King and Brooklyn Ilunga collided in the air. The latter could not continue and was replaced by Taylor.

When the play resumed a low cross from the left by Colclough was begging to be turned in but it evaded McCallum and Dallas.

Down the other end Fitzsimons did ever so well to rush off his line to stop Hutchinson getting to the ball first after he was played in behind the Blues’ defence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Town took the lead on 34 minutes when Mandeville was clipped in the box and McCallum slotted in the resulting penalty for his second in as many games.

They almost doubled their lead minutes later when Mandeville found McCallum in the box. The striker teed up Banks but he side-footed wide.

McCallum was then forced off injured and was replaced by Joe Quigley, who scored the winner here last season.

There were nine minutes of stoppage time because of the injuries to Ilunga and McCallum and Chesterfield grabbed their second during this period as Mandeville smashed home from close-range with Quigley and Colclough involved in the attack.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There was a late scare as a misplaced pass by Jones sold Banks short and Wealdstone had a massive chance to pull a goal back but a brilliant last-ditch tackle by Palmer denied Corie Andrews and then Jamie Grimes cleared off the line with a fantastic piece of defending.

Chesterfield started where they left off in the second-half and came close to bagging a third when home goalkeeper Howes parried a shot from Banks and Mandeville scooped the rebound over the woodwork.

But just before the hour-mark Town put the game to bed when Dallas scored his first goal for the club when he finished Colclough’s low cross at the near post.

Wealdstone had won four on the bounce at home but Cook’s men did not let the hosts back into this encounter and they added a stunning fourth when Colclough pounced on a mistake before chipping home goalkeeper Howes from about 35 yards.

Substitute Jesurun Uchegbulam came close to grabbing a fifth but Howes parried and the Spireites secured a much-needed win and clean sheet.