Recap: Chesterfield start 2022 with a win against King's Lynn to extend lead at top of National League

The club said this morning: “With a current shortage of staff at the club, it would really help if as many as possible attending today’s game purchased their ticket(s) online.”

Happy New Year everyone!

On paper this is a home banker but we all know football, especially the National League, does not work like that.

King’s Lynn have got a new manager in former Southampton midfielder Tommy Widdrington so they are a bit of an unknown quantity. Under old boss Ian Culverhouse they were a possession-based team and were easy on the eye but that might not be the case today so it will be interesting to see how they approach this one.

I imagine James Rowe will want as many creative and attacking players on the pitch as possible because it’s probably going to be a case of having to be patient to break the visitors down. An early goal would settle everyone down and may force the Linnets to change their tactics.

Under Rowe, Chesterfield have beaten King’s Lynn all three times and I think they will again, but it won’t be straightforward.

I’m going for a 1-0 home win.

I’m going for three changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Halifax on Tuesday.

James Rowe has said a ‘sprinkle’ of players will return for this match so I’m going to take a punt and say Jeff King may return from injury to start this one.

That would mean Tyrone Williams drops back into his more natural position and Fraser Kerr, who didn’t have his best game against the Shaymen, would have to settle for a place on the bench.

Curtis Weston had to come off at half-time in midweek so I’m going to predict that Jim Kellermann will slot into his position alongside Manny Oyeleke which is what happened in the second-half.

I also think Liam Mandeville and Saidou Khan, who had big impacts off the bench, will be rewarded with starts. I reckon Akwasi Asante will be among the subs. Starting two games in a week after such a long time out might be too much for him.

This selection is based on the fact that King’s Lynn are likely to come and frustrate Chesterfield and put men behind the ball. That’s what they did against Halifax and it worked for an hour, before eventually losing 2-0, so I think they will take up the same approach,

(3-4-2-1) Loach; Williams, Gunning, Whittle; King, Kellermann, Oyeleke, Miller; Mandeville, Khan; Tshimanga. Subs: Grimes, Kerr, Weston, Payne, Asante.

If I’m right then that would mean Melvin Minter, Jak McCourt and Nathan Tyson would miss out.

“Remarkable.

“For me personally it has been a fantastic year.

“Our points average per game has been excellent and if we maintain that form we are not going to go far wrong in five months’ time.

“We are going to make sure we do everything we can to make sure we do.”

“He needs a run of three or four games, coming off the bench, starting, then we can judge whether he can have an influence on us in the short-term or whether he might need some games elsewhere but I am confident he can get up to speed after four games.”

“They have a new manager, he has made a couple of additions as well so it should be a good game and I am expecting another good attendance here.”

Curtis Weston, one of the players who has had Covid, had to come off at half-time against Halifax.

On the midfielder, Rowe said: “There were four players who had only had one serious session before the (Halifax) game so Curtis, among the others, were dead on the feet.

“We have had to slow training right down.

“We have got the squad and we can manage it, we have shown that before.”

Chesterfield: 1/4

Draw: 17/4

King’s Lynn: 17/2

(Sky Bet)