Club owner Dave Allen sought '˜clarity' on Spireites injury crisis

Jack Lester gave '˜clarity' to club owner Dave Allen about form and injuries, just days before key players returned in a 2-1 win over Swindon.
Picture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; Sky Bet League Two; Chesterfield FC v Swindon Town; 24/03/2018 KO 15.00; Proact Stadium; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Spireites boss Jack LesterPicture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; Sky Bet League Two; Chesterfield FC v Swindon Town; 24/03/2018 KO 15.00; Proact Stadium; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Spireites boss Jack Lester
Picture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; Sky Bet League Two; Chesterfield FC v Swindon Town; 24/03/2018 KO 15.00; Proact Stadium; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Spireites boss Jack Lester

“(It was) just to give him clarity about what’s been going on,” said Lester.

“He understands it’s a difficult situation and wants to know what we’re doing about it.

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“I think he wanted a bit of clarity about the number of players that are missing.

“With injuries, if you’re flicking a coin you don’t expect it to go heads 10 times in a row, but sometimes it does.

“It’s a headscratcher, we’ve had meeting after meeting, obviously we look at ourselves, at our regime, is it correct? “Sometimes you’ve just got to say we’ve been extremely unlucky.”

Since his arrival at the end of September, Lester has been vocal about wanting to create a team full of energy and aggression, with fitness central to his plans.

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The spate of injuries picked up, both in games and training, have done nothing to change his mind.

“We’ve got to push the lads physically to the point that you can win football matches off the back of it,” he said.

“I think we showed that before and showed the contrast of that and not.

“If we were to come off the training intensity then we’d be back to where we were.

“I think the process is right.”

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Lester was able to welcome back Zavon Hines, Louis Dodds and Drew Talbot from the treatment room late last week and all three played in Saturday’s important victory.

Andy Kellett, who had been out with a knee injury before suffering from illness, scored one and set one up against the Robins.

Despite the bad luck Town have had with injuries, the manager has been boosted by the attitude of players striving to get back on the pitch.

“Little tackles here, broken hand in a challenge with a keeper, Tommy Lee has to retire, you don’t want to keep going on and on about it, but the number of hiccups - we’re on our fifth goalie.

“The number of hiccups are just one of those things.

“But you’ve got to get on with it.

“I think that’s what we’re doing.

“I am buoyed by the number of players pushing themselves to get back.

“I know the lads care.”