Six talking points from Chesterfield's emphatic win against Derby County

Here are some of the main talking points to emerge from the game...

ENCOURAGING

This was Chesterfield’s best performance of pre-season and it will give everyone plenty of encouragement and optimism. They had only scored two goals in four games before this so to bang in four against a Championship side is very welcome. Apart from the early stages, the Spireites looked more solid defensively and were not really under much threat in the second-half and they managed it well. It was a display which whets the appetite for the new season even more.

HARD AS NAYLS

With Chesterfield having a bit of a defensive injury crisis, Tom Naylor partnered Chey Dunkley at centre-back. Naylor was particularly outstanding, grabbing two wonderful assists, as well as being very assured all-round. We shouldn’t be surprised how composed he looked given he has played there many times during his career but it was a classy showing. Dunkley was also very good, with one stunning block in the second-half catching the eye. He had a knack of always being in the right place at the right time and it’s not a fluke. The pair complimented each other well and it will definitely have given Paul Cook some food for thought. With Naylor scoring 14 goals from midfield last season, dropping him further back could take that out of his game, although his two assists suggest he could still dominate from deep. Rumour has it John Stones was impressed. A special mention too for Lewis Gordon who looks like he really enjoys the ugly side of defending.

ALBANIAN ARROW

Paddy Madden has occupied the ‘10’ position for most of pre-season but with him now expected to be out for quite some time Chesterfield need another solution. Armando Dobra played there against the Rams and looked very threatening. It’s a position he has played before but more often than not he has been deployed wide left, a role which he enjoys the most. But you couldn’t help but be excited about him in that central role as he pressed ferociously and led swift counter-attacks. Opposition defenders would certainly not want to have to go out and mark him in that pocket of space he picks up on the half turn. You would think he would be able to do more damage than out wide but we shall see. It’s not a bad option to have.

CASE FOR BERRY

James Berry had a strong goals-per-minute ratio last season and he is the Spireites’ top scorer in pre-season with three so far after his brace here. Competition for places in the attacking positions is fierce but the 23-year-old continues to make the case for more starts. He spends a lot of time working on his shooting after training and he probably is one of the best finishers in the squad.

RIGHT-BACK CONUNDRUM

Ryheem Sheckleford, like Madden, is going to be out for a while which leaves the Spireites without a natural right-back. Trialist Vontae Daley-Campbell has made three appearances and is set to stick around at least for a bit longer, with the possibility of a contract seemingly edging closer. Fellow trialist defender Xavier Benjamin, 20, previously of Fulham and Cardiff City, got some minutes towards the end but not enough to make any kind of judgement on him. Liam Mandeville once again did a fine job at right-back and, although it’s not his preferred position, he might have to start the season there and you would trust him to do it very well.

QUIGS AT CB

Joe Quigley played centre-back for the last 10 minutes of this one. Yep, you read that right. A couple of fans suggested this might have been Cook’s way of letting everyone know he needs another centre-back sharpish. It might have just been a case of ‘needs must’ but it’s an interesting shout.