Winning ugly, local lad Luke and super subs - six big talking points from Chesterfield's win against Woking

Winning ugly

Anybody who didn’t watch the game would think Chesterfield breezed past Woking, but for 80 minutes it was a close battle and the visitors had a couple of good chances to draw level but were denied by goalkeeper Kyle Letheren who was a man of the match contender. Woking boss Alan Dowson said his side were ‘excellent’ until the closing stages, but Spireites manager John Pemberton will not feel too sorry for him and will take some encouragement that they can win games without playing that well.

Local lad Luke shines

The 19-year-old came on for the final 20 minutes and took both of his first senior goals expertly. His first one was all about positioning and power whereas his second relied on technique as he beautifully curled the ball into the far corner after taking the Woking defence out of the game with his first touch. What a moment for the academy product who has been given his chance by Pemberton. The only downside was there were no fans inside the stadium to witness it.

How did the new signings get on?

I was looking at the clock around the 55-minute mark wondering how much longer Alex Kiwomya was going to last but Pemberton switched formation and moved him out wide on the right and he saw out the full 90 minutes to my surprise. He looked lively at times and showed glimpses of his pace. He coolly side-footed Jordan Cropper’s superb cross into the net to make it 3-0 to round off a promising display. Meanwhile, Tyler Denton replaced Milan Butterfield after an hour and showed plenty of energy up and down the left flank and can be satisfied with his contribution to the first win of the season.

Strikers are firing

None of Town’s strikers managed to score during three pre-season games, but all five of Chesterfield’s goals this season have been scored by... strikers. Tom Denton bagged his second of the season with a near post header from Cropper’s throw, and of course Rawson and Kiwomya are up and running. With Nathan Tyson and and Scott Boden still to come back, Pemberton has some strong competition for places up front.

A word on the defence

Woking had a lot of possession, but Chesterfield stood firm and it resulted in their first clean sheet of the season. The back three played well and Pemberton praised captain Will Evans and said Jamie Sharman’s performance was 8/10. Pemberton also told Letheren in the dressing room not to underestimate how important his brilliant reaction save from Kane Ferdinand was in the game. It is a platform to build on.

Super subs

It was not just Rawson who made a big impact off the bench. A mention must go to Liam Mandeville who came on with 10 minutes to go and turned the momentum of the game. With the Blues under pressure, Mandeville got them some breathing space by carrying the ball into the corner before drawing a foul. He picked himself up and delivered the free-kick which resulted in Chesterfield doubling their lead.