Chesterfield send out clear message to National League title rivals after thrashing Barnet

Chesterfield scored four times in the second-half to brush aside Barnet and extend their unbeaten league record to 12 matches.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Kabongo Tshimanga hit a brace and the other goals came from Akwasi Asante and Jeff King.

PERFECT RESPONSE

This win was the perfect response to the midweek results which saw all of Town’s promotion rivals collect three points. But James Rowe’s men hit back in emphatic style and sent out a clear message that they are not going to fade away in the title race.

Kabongo Tshimanga scored a brace against Barnet.Kabongo Tshimanga scored a brace against Barnet.
Kabongo Tshimanga scored a brace against Barnet.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Interestingly, all the teams at the top of the table (Halifax, Boreham Wood, Notts County, Bromley, Wrexham and Stockport County) all advanced to the FA Trophy fifth round with wins on Saturday which means none of them will be in league action on February 12 when Chesterfield, who withdrew from the competition, go to Weymouth. With the Spireites now out of the cups, they can fully concentrate on the league. It would not be a bad thing if the others stay in the FA Trophy and have a backlog of fixtures.

PERSISTENCE

This was a classic case of if you don’t succeed, try and try again. Chesterfield had some good chances in the first-half through Calvin Miller, Tshimanga and Luke Croll but they could not find a breakthrough. Barnet’s main threat came from set-pieces and crosses and they had a great chance from the latter but Sam Beard headed over from close-range early after the break. And they paid the price moments later when Tshimanga scored his 20th goal of the season after good work by inspired half-time substitute Alex Whittle. From that point the floodgates opened as Asante doubled the lead just before the hour following a scramble from a corner. King then set-up Tshimanga for his second with 20 minutes remaining following some smart build-up play. With time almost up, King got on the scoresheet himself with a deflected free-kick from distance for his first goal in a Town shirt. Ben Richards-Everton swept home a consolation in stoppage time but the damage had already been done.

DEADLY DUO

We saw the first signs of a partnership between Tshimanga and Asante when they linked up for the goal at Chelsea so there was a feeling they would start together again here for just the second time. Tshimanga remarkably made it 20 goals in 21 league games and 21 goals in all competitions. Asante, back from his long-term injury, is up and running with two in his last two. The pair did not really link-up together as such but that will come with time. If Chesterfield have them both up front together for the rest of the season, surely they will go close.

GAME-CHANGER

It is not often that a defender comes on at half-time and helps swing a game so dramatically but Whittle did that at The Hive. Unlucky not to be starting, the left wing-back burst forward down the left and assisted the first goal just three minutes after coming on. From there on he popped-up all over the place, causing absolute havoc in the Bees backline. He sums up everything that is good about the Spireites right now.

TEAM

(3-4-1-2) Loach; Williams, Grimes, Croll; King, Weston, Oyeleke, Miller (Whittle, 46); Mandeville (Khan, 79); Asante (Kellermann, 69), Tshimanga. Unused subs: Maguire, Payne.