'I've done Bergkamp on the edge' - Liam Mandeville on sending Chesterfield to Wembley to face Notts County

The Spireites and Notts County will go head-to-head at Wembley on Saturday in the National League play-off final. The winner will be promoted to League Two.

Mandeville, who has never played at Wembley, joined Town in 2019 after leaving Doncaster Rovers and he admits he thought they would have returned to the EFL much quicker.

He told the DT: “It would be unbelievable. It has not been an easy four years for the club. It was nothing like I expected. When I dropped down to Chesterfield I thought ‘it will be easy this’ but it is a tough league to get out of. When I was at Morecambe they said you don’t want to drop down to the National League, it is hard, clubs don’t come back very often, and it has proved to be honest.”

It was Mandeville's extra-time strike against Bromley that secured the Blues’ place in the final, his tenth goal of the season.

He joked: “I’ve done Bergkamp on the edge haven’t I? Like his dad that!

“I have just hit it as hard as I can across goal and I connected with it so well.”

Asked how he felt after a rollercoaster of a game which saw Michael Cheek equalise to make it 2-2 for 10-man Bromley in the ninth minute of injury-time in the second-half, Mandeville continued: “Exhausted!

“It felt like it was unnecessary for that extra 30 minutes to happen but it did and thankfully it did not go to penalties and we’re off to Wembley so…love it!

“I don’t normally get nervous for games but, I have to admit, I was quite nervous today, probably with the occasion and everything

“I thought we were the much better team throughout.

“We have conceded at some awful times this season - today just before half-time - and you are thinking ‘not again.’

“I should have scored about two minutes into the second-half - I don’t know how I have missed it - so again you are thinking ‘is it going to be one of the days’ but thankfully it wasn’t.”

Chesterfield trailed 1-0 at half-time but got 2-1 in front and against the 10-men Ravens they could have extended their lead before Cheek scored at the death to silence the home faithful.

“I was just so annoyed and a bit gutted, but I did actually know in my heart of hearts we were going to win that game,” Mandeville explained.

“They (Bromley) were absolutely gone. They had a tough game in midweek and they were dead on their feet I thought. We just needed one thing to happen for us and we could have had more in the end.”

There were jubilant celebrations on the pitch after the full-time whistle as Chesterfield fans invaded the pitch but Mandeville said the players know they still have one more hurdle to overcome next weekend

“The (celebrations in the dressing room) weren’t as mad as what they are hopefully going to be next week,” he added.

“They were quite muted, we know we have got a job to do.

“It is going to be a tough game, Notts are a great side, they have done so well this season, I am looking forward to it. We have had two competitive games against them this season.

“As an occasion, this is probably as big as it gets in the National League.

“It is fantastic for the fans.”