'It is still wide open' - Chesterfield defender Laurence Maguire on National League title race

The Spireites, who topped the table for a large chunk of this season, have gone four games without a win and are six points behind leaders Stockport County with 15 matches remaining.

On the race for promotion, Maguire said: “I still think it is wide open.

"Stockport have been on a great run and that is a credit to them.

"There will be blips along the way. There are still a lot of games to go.

"A couple of injuries and sendings off and we are down to bare bones but it is time for us to step up now.

"It is a little blip but, at the end of the day, we have lost two games in a row and that is it.

“We have lost four games all season, we have got a great set of lads, great belief, and I am sure we will get back on track.

"If someone had said we would be second in the table at this stage of the season you would have snapped their hand off.

"I am sure we will put a run together and hopefully it can be at the right time and get us back on top of the league.

"I always say that football is a rollercoaster. It has been a very tough but enjoyable year. We are near the top of the table which is better than previous year but now is the time to step up and try and get this club back into the Football League where it definitely belongs.”

Asked if they can afford any more slip-ups, Maguire added: "No, not really. Even if we end up in the play-offs it is still a great chance to get promoted and a great chance for the club to get promoted.

"We are still in there and we will stick together.”

Although Chesterfield suffered their second successive home defeat on Tuesday night against Wrexham they deservedly received plenty of plaudits for the way they played in the first-half.

Maguire, 25, said they have been working on patterns of play on the training ground as Paul Cook aims to stamp his authority on the side.

Explaining what changes Cook has made so far, the defender told the DT: "You know what type of football the gaffer wants to play – we will move it, keep possession, we will squeeze high up the pitch and press.

“I think we have gone back to the press, pressing from the front, I think that has improved. I also think we have moved the ball a lot better instead of going more direct into the two strikers and we are trying to get the number 10s on the ball .

"Personally, that is my type of game. I think one of my big attributes is my ability on the ball so for someone to come in and want to play like that I feel like it is going to help me and benefit me and hopefully it is going to make me into a better player.”

Another tactical change has been swapping from a three-man defence to a back four.

On that, Maguire said: "We have not played a big four for a good three or four years now so that is another tweak he has done as well so we have got to get used to that. You have got to be a bit more solid with the ball, you can’t be stepping in with the ball as much as you want on the left or right of the three because you have not got that solid base between you.”

Maguire, who returned to the starting line-up against Wrexham in midweek, has had an on-off season due to injuries but he thinks he is over the worst now.

"I had a bad calf strain and personally I thought I came back too early,” he said.

"I came back in at Aldershot and Eastleigh and I had a bit of reaction on my Achilles and my calf.

"I have spent a lot of time working in the gym with the physio and I feel I have got myself back to where I should be in terms of fitness levels.

"Last year I had a clear season, I think I played 41 out of the 42 games last year so to get the injury earlier on in the season at Dagenham was devastating. It knocked me back quite a lot.”