Paul Cook slams 'disgusting' Chesterfield second-half performance in heavy defeat to Tranmere Rovers

The Spireites went in at 0-0 at half-time after missing some good chances before totally collapsing after the break.

Cook said: “It is probably as bad as a half as we have had some since I came back. I am devastated, I feel sick, I feel so bad for our supporters. Deepest apologies to our supporters who travelled. It was a disgusting second-half performance. We were soft and gave away pathetic goals. Sometimes we have a little bit of arrogance and that is not a nice thing.

“Tranmere ran all over us. They had more hunger and desire. It clearly looked like the game meant a lot more to them than it did to us. It is really disappointing but it is what it is. We can’t change some of our players in terms of their habits and how we play.”

The Blues should have led at the break but Cook was not interested in taking any positives from the game.

He explained: “I thought we did alright in the first-half, I thought we were the better team. I thought we were comfortable in possession and were looking to hurt them more but then we gave them absolute gifts. It is something that has been there for a period of time. In the last six or seven games we have defended better, looked more secure, but not today.

“Tranmere were clearly the better team in the second-half. I have no interest in the new manager jargon about positives from the game - there is none. You have been flattened. Absolutely flattened and we have got to take that on the chin.”

Town will now have to wait to see how damaging this defeat is for their play-off hopes ahead of Tuesday night’s match at home to Gillingham.

Cook added: “We have never been in the play-offs so it doesn’t hurt me. Probably our season was summed up in the second-half where it offers so much but ends with so little.

“We have got to come back fighting on Tuesday. We have been on a good run, it is hard to criticise our players and I won’t. It is just a tough one to take.”