Highs, lows, player of the year, best goal and next season's predictions - review of Chesterfield's 2022/2023 National League campaign

WAS IT A SUCCESS?

The objective was to win promotion and they didn’t do that but they came agonisingly close, with just a penalty shootout blocking their path. However, just because they didn’t go up doesn’t mean the campaign was a failure. It’s not as black and white as that and I think the majority of people can see the progress made. The third-placed finish was Chesterfield’s best since dropping down to this level, they had a clear style and identity, and there was a strong connection between the fans and the players and a unity as a whole as a club. Attendances were better than some of the days in the EFL, they reached the FA Cup third round again, a number of players had impressive individual campaigns and the squad now has saleable assets and a better balance to it. The future is bright.

WHAT WERE THE HIGHS?

There were plenty. Playing eventual champions Wrexham off the park in August. Starting the season 10 unbeaten and being top. Beating two League Two sides to reach the FA Cup third and then the thrilling 3-3 against West Brom. Thrashing Torquay United 5-1 home and away. The Southend United and Eastleigh comebacks. The Bromley semi-final. And seeing almost 15,000 Town fans make a right racket at Wembley wasn’t bad either. There were some superb team goals, last-minute winners, and it was entertaining to watch more often than not. They also accumulated the most points from losing positions which made things exciting and shows a great team spirit.

ANY LOWS?

Not many but losing three games in a week to Maidenhead United, Dagenham and Redbridge and Eastleigh after starting the season 10 unbeaten was disappointing and came out of nowhere. That can’t happen next term. And neither can going nine without a win, which is what happened in February. Losing at Wembley on penalties was gutting, but it wasn’t a low point.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR?

Liam Mandeville. 10 goals and 14 assists is a really impressive return. But it wasn’t just his numbers. He was consistent, he was a team-player and he ran himself into the ground week after week. Whether it was right wing, right-back or the number 10, you trusted him to do a good job. Special mentions too for Jeff King, who was excellent in the first-half of the season, the ever-present Jamie Grimes, the machine that is Mike Jones, and Armando Dobra, who came up with some moments of brilliance.

BEST GOAL?

It’s got to be King’s rocket at home to Southend United which completed a stunning turnaround with 10-men.

DID ANYONE DISAPPOINT?

It feels harsh to single anyone out but I was expecting more from Lucas Covolan. He looked like a great signing in pre-season but he never recovered from that daft opening day sending off. Even when he came back into the team you didn’t feel comfortable watching him. It’s a shame because that signing had a lot of potential. The same goes for George Cooper, but he couldn’t get over his injury problems and was let go in January.

WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNT?

This was manager Paul Cook’s first full season back at the Spireites in the National League so I am sure he will have learnt a lot. If he didn’t already, and I’m sure he did, but he will know more about what to expect from trips to the likes of Maidenhead United, Boreham Wood and Dorking Wanderers and that a Plan B and Plan C might be required for these fixtures. After all, there is more than one way to win a game. One minor point, and I’m not entirely sure how much power they have, but perhaps any rearranged games could be better spread out next time. Having eight fixtures in February was a lot and it proved difficult because they didn’t win any of them. But, as I say, I’m not sure if that was out of their hands.

WHERE DID THEY FALL SHORT?

The small details in big games. On the odd occasion, when it really mattered, they just came up a bit short. West Brom at home, seconds away from a famous FA Cup win, conceded. The play-off final, three minutes of normal time remaining, conceded. Led again in extra-time, conceded. 2-0 up away at Notts County, conceded twice in two minutes. Wrexham away, missed big chances. By the way, they had some big moments of their own in important games like the Bromley sem-final, the Eastleigh comeback and the 1-0 win at Woking and 4-0 victory against Maidstone United to secure third, but throughout the season there was always that niggling soft underbelly and it came back to bite them in the end. In the last two seasons, Cook has said that he struggles to ‘trust’ some of his players, so hopefully that is something he doesn’t feel the need to say next year.

HOW CAN THEY IMPROVE?

Even though Wrexham and Notts County are gone, 84 points won’t be enough to win the league next season. They will need to be closer to 100, you would imagine. How do they get there? They need to score more goals, keep more clean sheets and not allow six visiting teams to take home the points when they visit Derbyshire. They’ll also need to keep hold of their better players and add a spinkle of quality in other key areas as well. But all of that is obviously a lot harder than it sounds.

PREDICTION FOR NEXT SEASON?

Champions. There, I said it. It won’t be easy and they won’t run away with it, but I think they’ll do it. They will have to deal with the pressure of being favourites but there is always pressure playing for Chesterfield in this league and they are expected to win most games so that is nothing new. I’d fancy Oldham Athletic to be contenders and Southend United if their takeover goes through. I think Hartlepool United, under John Askey, will adapt to life in non-league quicker than Rochdale, while Bromley, Boreham Wood, Barnet, Woking and Solihull Moors will be there or thereabouts. I’m picking Kidderminster Harriers to be my surprise package.