Unbeaten Chesterfield beat Altrincham to go top but suffer two injury concerns

Chesterfield extended their unbeaten start to the season to six games to go back to the top of the league after coming from a goal down to beat Altrincham 2-1, but they did lose Akwasi Asante and Armando Dobra to first-half injuries.
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Toby Mullarkey, a reported summer transfer target for the Spireites, blasted in from six-yards from a set-piece just before half-time while Town were down to 10-men with Dobra off the field having received treatment.

But the Blues turned the game around with two goals in four minutes at the the start of the second-half through a Tyrone Williams header and a close-range finish from Kabongo Tshimanga.

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The victory was Chesterfield’s first on the road this season and means they have collected six points over the bank holiday weekend.

Kabongo Tshimanga celebrates his goal. Picture: Tina Jenner.Kabongo Tshimanga celebrates his goal. Picture: Tina Jenner.
Kabongo Tshimanga celebrates his goal. Picture: Tina Jenner.

Paul Cook named an unchanged line-up from the win against Barnet on Friday night, meaning Tshimanga had to settle for a place on the bench despite scoring against the Bees.

Altrincham went into this clash searching for their first win of the campaign and had earned the early season ‘draw specialists’ tag after recording four stalemates from their first five games.

The J.Davidson Stadium had not been a happy hunting ground for the Spireites in the past, losing 1-0 here in March after a long-range shot hit a divot and bounced in, as well as conceding an 89th minute winner in November 2020 which ended John Pemberton’s time at the club.

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And It was a nightmare first-half for the Blues, who fell behind for the first time this season, and they lost Asante and Dobra to injury.

Liam Mandeville almost got Town off to a dream start when he met Brandon Horton’s low cross but his powerful shot from inside the area was cleared off the line.

Not long after, Horton created another opportunity, this time for Joe Quigley, but his cheeky flick at the near post was collected by Dermot Mee.

Asante was forced off after 10 minutes, the striker made no attempt to continue and appeared to know straight away that he was struggling. Tshimanga took his place.

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Lucas Covolan made two fairly comfortable saves from Ryan Colclough and Jordan Hulme and then the hosts looked to have a decent shout for a penalty when Colclough got the wrong side of Darren Oldaker in the box. Referee Paul Marsden initially appeared to put the whistle to his lips.

The dangerous Colcough continued to threaten, hitting the side-netting after a counter-attack, and then Chesterfield had a huge chance of their own before half-time.

Jeff King played a short corner to Mandeville, who delivered a cross to the far post which was headed back across goal by Jamie Grimes. Williams was perfectly placed to tap home but he could not get enough of a touch on the ball.

The Spireites’ injury woes got worse when Dobra went down in a lot of pain and, while he was off the pitch, they failed to defend a set-piece with 10-men and Mullarkey fired into the roof of the net.

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Dobra tried to continue, but was clearly struggling and had to come off, replaced by Jesurun Uchegbulam, who gave a good account of himself.

Whatever Cook said to his players at half-time worked a treat as Chesterfield turned the game on its head with two goals in four minutes.

First, King swung in a deep free-kick from out wide and Williams headed in to equalise just one minute into the second-half.

Three minutes later, Town went in front for the first time.

The impressive Horton burst down the left and delivered a cross which was met by the head of Williams and Tshimanga turned it in for his second in as many matches.

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Up the other end, Covolan made a smart save from Colclough’s fierce long-range strike, and he would later have a big chance to equalise but he forced the ball over the bar at the back post following a teasing cross from substitute Chris Conn-Clarke.

Before that, Tshimanga almost grabbed a third with a near-post flick from Mandeville’s cross.

The last 15 minutes, much to Chesterfield’s delight, were a bit of a non-event as the game fizzled out, apart from a late Uchegbulam shot which was deflected wide.

The unbeaten start goes on, and it’s a six-point bank holiday weekend for the Spireites.