Recap: Chesterfield concede two late goals to draw against Torquay United after Kabongo Tshimanga double
Both these teams made the play-offs last season, with the Gulls agonisingly losing out to Hartlepool United on penalties in the final.
These sides have had contrasting starts to the new campaign as the Spireites top the table and are unbeaten in seven, while the visitors have managed just two wins so far.
Our reporter Liam Norcliffe is at the game and will provide all the build-up, team news, updates and reaction.
Chesterfield v Torquay United: LIVE UPDATES
Key Events
- FT: Chesterfield 2 v 2 Torquay United (5.20pm KO)
- Kabongo Tshimanga gives Spireites lead just before the hour and then adds a second
- Visitors score two late goals to pinch a point
- Spireites unbeaten in seven
- Two changes for Chesterfield as Laurence Maguire and Jak McCourt replace Jamie Grimes and Manny Oyeleke (knock).
- Torquay 13th after just two wins so far
Ernie Ernie Ernie
A round of applause goes around the stadium on eight minutes in memory of the legendary Ernie Moss. Lovely moment.
Early stages
Torquay hit a free-kick from the edge of the box into the wall, Carline reacts and sends Tshimanga clear down the right. The striker pulls the ball back to McCourt about 20 yards out and he curls over.
And we’re off!
Chesterfield are in their traditional home strip, Torquay are wearing black and white stripes today to mark the centenary of their first competitive fixture at Plainmoor.
We are underway!
Here we go then
The teams are out here at the Technique Stadium on what is a lovely evening.
The sprinklers have been busy working hard soaking the pitch so the ball should be zipping around early.
A reminder that Chesterfield have made two changes with Maguire and McCourt replacing Grimes and the injured Oyeleke.
This is not going to be an easy game for Town, let’s not forget that Torquay were a penalty shootout away from winning promotion to the EFL last season. They lost a number of key players in the summer but they are still a strong outfit.
Stay tuned for all the big talking points over the next 90 minutes.
COYB!
Chesterfield team news confirmed
Two changes for Chesterfield as Laurence Maguire and Jak McCourt replace Jamie Grimes and Manny Oyeleke (knock).
3-4-1-2: Loach; Kerr, Gunning, Maguire; Carline, Weston, McCourt, Miller; Mandeville; Payne, Tshimanga.
Subs: Grimes, King, Whittle, Khan, Rowe.
Aaron Downes on the Spireites
The former Chesterfield man, now assistant manager at Torquay, said: “They’ve improved their squad, as we feel we have. Both teams have the same manager, they feel they’re in a different position than they were at that stage [last season] to where we are now, so, we can look at that and we can see and take some positives and negatives from that, but at the end of the day we’re in a different time now, and we have to look at it from recently what they’ve been doing, and recently what we’ve been doing, and take it from there.
“It gives us confidence knowing that we can go to one of the title challengers, like last year, and get a result, and a lot of the boys in the changing room were part of that, so it’s nice knowing that we can do that. At the end of the day that’s history now, that’s been and done and we need to focus on Saturday.”
Third strip
Torquay will be wearing their third kit for today’s match.
The shirt marks the centenary of Torquay’s first competitive fixture at Plainmoor, a 1-0 victory over Weymouth in the Western League in September 1921, and pays homage to the club’s previous home colours of black and white stripes.
Torquay team news
Dangerman Armani Little, who has three goals to his name so far, could return after picking up an injury against Grimsby a fortnight ago.
“Armani could very well be available for Saturday,” Johnson said at his pre-match press conference.
Midfielder Jake Andrews is back in full training after a long spell out through illness.
Goalkeeper Mark Halstead suffered concussion 10 days ago against Solihull Moors and may still be out.
On Chesterfield, Torquay boss Gary Johnson said: “We’ve got a tough game this weekend, of course we have. But we’ve got to go there with confidence and we’ve got to go there with our game.
“We’ve got to cope with the game of a team that has’t lost yet, and is one of the favourites to win the league.
“But we’re looking forward to it.
“We had a very good game up there last season.
We’ll be absolutely focused.”