Spireites’ boss admits Blues were poor during 3-1 defeat

An 85th minute Ian Evatt strike in Saturday’s game was not enough for the Spireites as they fell 3-1 at the Crown Ground following a first half hat-trick from Lee Molyneux.

Cook said: “We had a team meeting today for an hour about the importance of the game, what it means and how teams disrespect Accrington Stanley and regularly leave with what we’ve left with which is nothing.

“Whether we’ve disrespected them or not I don’t know, we’ve given a couple of sloppy goals away and missed a couple of great chances as well. We were poor today. Very, very poor. There are no excuses offered. We had great travelling support and they go away as disappointed as the rest of us.”

Just before half-time Ollie Banks challenge sparked outrage among the Stanley players and there was a heated exchange between players. Stanley assistant Paul Stephenson and Chesterfield boss Cook were sent off for their part in the fracas and were absent from their respective dugouts at the start of the second half.

Cook added: ““Now and then, when you get some body blows like we have I believe in conducting yourself properly.

“I think you show some manners and a little bit of class when it doesn’t go well. The important thing for me as a manager and everyone else is that we stay strong. There’s 11 games to go in the league and these are the players that have made us into the club we are at the minute.”

Cook, a former Stanley player and manager added: “I think you’ve got to give Accrington great credit, not just for the ability to score goals but when they went down to ten men they worked so hard for each other.

“Accrington have got a great spirit, they’re a great club. The signs around the stadium say they’ll never die and that sums them up as a club. They won’t die because of the people involved in the club and the people that have been here before them.”

Prior to Saturday’s game Cook had been relieved to announce during last Thursday’s press conference at The Proact Stadium that he had not been suspended or fined after a previous sending off at Wycombe.

Chesterfield still remain top of the league table and travel to AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday.