Paul Cook has given his opinion on the promotion race and relegation battle in League Two.

There is a month to go in the season and, unlike in some of the other leagues, there is still plenty to play for in the fourth-tier. Walsall have led the way at the top for some time but have been stumbling since January, while the other two promotion spots and four play-off places change hands most weeks.

It promises to be an exciting end to the season, one in which the Spireites hope to be involved in, as they aim to gatecrash the top seven.

Cook said before the weekend: "If you are trying to predict the three (automatic) promoted teams, I think Walsall and Bradford will be two of them. But then the third one is a big challenge and there are plenty of runners. There are also plenty of runners for the play-off positions. There is loads of football to be played.”

Down at the bottom, Carlisle United and Morecambe occupy the two relegation places, but they won’t stop fighting until it is mathematically impossible for them to escape the drop to the National League.

"I wouldn’t write Morecambe off,” Cook continued. “I would never ever write a Derek Adams team off ever. Carlisle are fighting for their lives. We have seen with Harrogate and Accrington and these teams, they are still wanting to win games. We wish everyone well and we will concentrate on our business.”

In terms of who might be coming up from the National League, Barnet are the clear favourites, with an 11-point lead with only six games to go. The Bees are on 91 points and are chasing down Chesterfield’s tally of 98 last season as they breezed to the title. Cook is good mates with Barnet boss Dean Brennan and he laughed that he had ‘reminded’ the Bees gaffer that this time last year the Spireites had already lifted the champions trophy. “He was getting a little bit giddy chasing our points tally,” Cook smiled.