'Delightful' - Chesterfield defender provides insight into attack-minded Spireites

The Spireites have won all three of their games this season, scoring 10 goals, but also conceding six.

As much as the skipper wants to keep clean sheets, he accepts attacking is their biggest strength.

He told the DT: “Sometimes it is delightful and you are clapping because players are taking people on and creating chances. You take the rough with the smooth, what makes us strong, makes us weak, because we are so expansive. Sometimes we get done on the counter-attack and that is where we have got to be better as defenders. You have got to take a foul or just take responsibility and defend one v one in the box. That is something we have got to get better at. The gaffer keeps saying about stopping the counter-attacks and being a bit more aggressive with that press when we are winning it.

“I am desperate for a clean sheet. I was so disappointed on Saturday (against AFC Fylde) because we were 4-0 up and I thought we were playing well and then we conceded two sloppy goals and the game changed. As a defender you want to walk off the pitch, shake the striker’s hand, but with them having not got any change out of you. I am sure they will come. We have been working on defending the box in training.”

Down the other end, the 32-year-old scored two goals last season and he has a target in mind for this campaign.

He explained: “As a defender you would always like to chip in with five, I think that is fair. But if I can get assists or create havoc in there and someone else scores then I don’t care as long as we win.

“I would like to think I am quite good in both boxes, it is just getting that final product. I am a bit disappointed that I have not hit the target with a few of my chances but it will come. I was disappointed not to score against Dorking - I had two cleared off the line. I think if we are going to do well this season then the centre-halves and defenders need to chip in with a few set-piece goals.”

Town have narrowly missed out on promotion in the last three seasons but Grimes believes the experience of the likes of Tom Naylor, Will Grigg and Michael Jacobs will be a big help this time.

He added: “We wanted to start with three wins and we have done that. We have got things to work on - you can see that. We are going to work on a few things again. Like the gaffer keeps saying, we are a new team, we have got new players, it is not quite gelling at the moment but when it clicks we are going to be very good.

“Every year I have been here the expectation has gone up but we have got better. Every year the squad has got better. With the players we have brought in, they are experienced, they are used to winning. In training they are used to winning. We come here and we expect to win. Everything we do, we expect to win.”