Four big talking points as Chesterfield beat Bromley to jump back into National League play-offs

Jack Clarke and George Carline both scored their first goals for the club in the win at Hayes Lane on Tuesday night.

Jude Arthurs cancelled out Clarke’s 51st minute opener after a mistake by goalkeeper Grant Smith, before Carline popped up with the winner with 14 minutes to go.

‘MASSIVE WIN’

Make no mistake about it, this was a huge win against a play-off rival. It is arguably Chesterfield’s most important victory of the campaign so far given the context. They could not afford to fall five points behind Bromley with seven matches to go especially with two more tough games coming up this Bank Holiday weekend against Hartlepool United on Saturday and Torquay United on Monday. This was the Spireites’ first win in five and it was much-needed and it continues their impressive away form, six unbeaten including five wins. It should settle everyone down and calm any nerves as we enter the business end of the season. It was nice to revenge Bromley’s win at the Technique 10 days ago too.

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS

The goals came from Clarke and Carline - their first strikes for Town. Clarke took his really well, pinching the ball off Bromley captain Chris Bush before driving forward and pinging the ball into the top corner with his left foot six minutes after half-time. It was an emphatic finish from the man on loan from Aston Villa. Carline followed in his first steps with a first-time finish at the far post from Joel Taylor’s cross from the left. Boss James Rowe said they had worked on getting the full-backs high up the pitch to create a 5v4 situation and it paid off.

REDEMPTION

Football can provide the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, just ask goalkeeper Smith. Fresh from earning a well-deserved new one-year contract, the stopper gifted Bromley an equaliser when he passed the ball straight to Arthurs who chipped into an empty net. But there was another twist to come. After breathing a big sigh of relief following Carline’s strike, Smith pulled off a ‘worldie’, as Rowe described it, with a top save down to his left from Frankie Raymond’s drilled effort which looked in. Football, bloody hell.

WALKING WOUNDED

Curtis Weston was rested for this one as he continues to manage a sore Achilles. Rowe said that they did not want to risk playing Weston on the 3G pitch and potentially lose him for the rest of the season. Martin Smith replaced him in central midfield and he had a really good game. Meanwhile, Gavin Gunning hobbled off with a tight hamstring, which is an ongoing problem for the defender. Rowe said the centre-back is putting his body on the line and if it was any other stage of the season he would not be playing. With the double-header against Hartlepool and Torquay coming up this weekend, you would have to think that Weston and Gunning cannot play both games.

TEAM

(3-5-2): G.Smith; Kerr, Gunning (Yarney, 72), Maguire; Carline, M.Smith, Oyeleke, Taylor; Clarke (Whelan, 69); Mitchell (Tyson, 58), Rowe. Unused subs: Whittle, Mandeville.