Formation guessing game for fans of Chesterfield

No one seems to know the answer to that question, as we are only out of the National League relegation places on goal difference.

Perhaps it’s time this was sorted out.

Post-match after the draw against Havant and Waterlooville Martin Allen was asked who was our best striker and he replied that the man most likely to score goals for us had been sold at the start of the season to Notts County, in other words Kristian Dennis.

FANS GALLERYMATCH REPORTPOST-MATCH REACTIONMATCH GALLERYALLEN ON ROWLEYOur manager also reflected on how hard it was to bring in a recognised forward who could be 100% certain to bang goals in — very difficult it would seem.

The boss realises that Lee Shaw is taking some stick from fans and defended the lad who has come from Grantham and has given hard-running performances every week, despite still not registering on the score sheet.

And therein lies the problem. We managed to shut out the opposition and looked steady at the back, despite gifting one glaring opportunity just before half-time to Havant striker Alfie Pavey, who fell over the ball — but we can’t put teams away.

Marc Antoine Fortune and Kyel Reid contributed very little to the first half, they weren’t the only ones. There seemed virtually no player on our team who could make any difference to the game.

Having Weston and Reid playing wide meant few chances were created from those areas as neither of them seems to have much pace anymore.

Commentators in the press box who had come up from Hampshire were saying that our team looked nervous and lacking in confidence and it’s difficult to disagree.

Well what a difference a substitute or two makes, Tom Denton is there to allow the team to play a simple diagonal ball and bring others into play, according to Martin Allen. He won nearly every header, it’s just a pity that many of his team-mates couldn’t read where the ball was going.

The encouraging news is that if you put teenage Levi Amantchi next to Denton, suddenly we’ve got a partnership up front. With Shaw running hard down the wing, then Havant were stretched and chances were created.

Just a shame that Ben Dudzinski was in such great form in the Havant goal, although he wasn’t alone in keeping the score level.

There was a brilliant two-handed save from one of his defenders and a marvellous push in the back on Denton that was seen by everyone in the ground apart from the referee, both of which should have seen spot-kicks given to Chesterfield.

So Tuesday night in the cup against Billericay, and then againt Eastleigh, our formation is anyone’s guess.