Four big talking points as Chesterfield secure narrow win against Sutton United

Street smart

This was a different type of performance from the two previous games under Rowe. The swashbuckling, attack-minded football made way for a well organised and disciplined approach. It was not a classic by any stretch of the imagination but Town got the job done. The Spireites paid a lot of respect to the high-flying hosts and they limited Sutton to very few clear-cut chances and actually looked comfortable for the majority of the game. Only Harry Beautyman’s missed sitter caused any real panic after Haydn Hollis’ first half opener. Two clean sheets from the last two games is encouraging.

Double signing

Again! Rowe loves a double signing on matchday, doesn’t he? Last week it was midfielders Jak McCourt and Tom Whelan before Aldershot, this time it was full-back Joel Taylor and midfielder George Carline. That is five new faces through the door inside two weeks of his appointment. The squad is looking a bit bloated now so we should see a few players head for the departure lounge soon. So much for Rowe giving the current crop a month before making any ‘drastic’ changes!

The new boys

While we are on the subject, all five of Rowe’s signings started at Gander Green Lane with Carline, Taylor, Whelan and McCourt making their first starts. The versatile Carline started at right-back and was solid throughout. His long throw created the winner for Hollis who headed in before half-time. Carline moved over to left-back when Jordan Cropper came on in the second half so at one point Sutton were dealing with long throws from both sides of the pitch. Whelan went about his work impressively in the middle of the park, Taylor played an hour and showed glimpses of his attacking ability, McCourt worked hard for the team and Asante led the line well.

Looking up

With two wins from three Town are starting to look up the table rather than over their shoulder. There is a good feeling around the club at the moment with Rowe’s likeable personality and his fast-paced recruitment process. He wasn’t messing about when he said this season was far from over was he?