Chesterfield's Ollie Banks reflects on 'crazy' and 'strange' day as midfielder plays an hour in goal in draw against Dorking Wanderers

Making his ‘second debut’ for Chesterfield, which also happened to be his 100th appearance for the club, the 29-year-old started in midfield and ended up in net for more than an hour after goalkeeper Lucas Covolan was sent off in the 2-2 draw at Dorking Wanderers on Saturday.

Banks can certainly leave Meadowbank with his head held high, having dealt with a number of shots and crosses.

He was disappointed with his part in Dorking’s first goal, but it would be harsh to lay any blame at his door.

Reflecting on the day, Banks told the DT it was ‘crazy.’

"I did not think I would be playing in net today at any point but you just have to take what is thrown at you sometimes,” he said.

"I have got a new found respect for goalkeepers which I did not have before!”

When asked if he knew he would be the one to go in goal if this scenario arose, he remembered a similar situation under Paul Cook from his previous time at the Blues.

He explained: "It is funny actually because the last time the gaffer was here there was a situation where he (Cook) said ‘who can go in net?’ and I said ‘I’m all right’. I have always been all right when I have messed around with friends and stuff.

"I said ‘I will have a go’ and he said ‘right, you’re in net’ because I think Tommy Lee was suffering with an ankle injury at the time but I never came on.

"So no, it was not the plan, obviously we did not plan on going down to 10-men early. It is obviously a mistake on Lucas’ part, he knows that, but nobody is going to hang him out to dry. We will stick together, we are a team and we all make mistakes.”

Giving his take on what it was like between the posts, the former Barrow man continued: "It was tough. I kept checking where the net was! It was strange, but I am disappointed with myself because if we had kept that first goal out, or lasted longer, I think we would have hung on. I am a bit gutted I have made a mistake there but I tried my best.”

Overall, Banks said they would ‘respect’ the point.

He added: "We started really well, created chances, got the early goal, but unfortunately things went the way that they did.

"We were killing them down the sides in the first 10-15 minutes, creating chances, balls getting flashed across. We have got some real quality.

"To get the second goal with 10-men was good but it was always going to be an uphill struggle because they are a good side.

"The lads have put an unbelievable shift in.

"We respect the point and move on.”