'They’re a good spectacle. There’s heartache, there’s drama': Chesterfield boss Paul Cook on the best and the worst of the play-offs

The memories of when the club lost there on penalties to Notts County in the National League promotion decider three years ago are still clear.

The Spireites meet the same opposition tomorrow in the League Two semi-final second leg at Meadow Lane with the victors returning to Wembley for a decider on May 25 when the stakes will be even higher.

Cook told the Derbyshire Times: "The play-offs are what they are. They’re a good spectacle. There’s heartache, there’s drama. You get to Wembley and as we tasted against Notts County, it’s a horrible place to lose. It has such a tough effect on you.

"To be honest, if we are going to go out I’d rather go out in a semi-final than lose at Wembley, but the reality is I would rather win it than not be involved in it.”

Chesterfield’s 1-0 deficit from the first leg has been played down by both parties.

County boss Martin Paterson wants to keep his players’ minds on the job, Cook is stressing his team is still very much in the tie at a ground where they have won on their last two visits.

“It’s a new game. The minute the referee blows the whistle we’re getting beat 1-0,” he said.

"There’s 90 minutes to go, there’s 17,000 people in the stadium and at some point it will become a cauldron and at some point we have to make sure it's us.

"The game means a lot to our supporters and it certainly means a lot to our players.”

The team chief was disappointed with the first leg as a spectacle.

He has taken note of what Chesterfield need to do better and knows County will also have work-ons from the fixture.

"Will both sides have taken clues from the game? Yes,” he said. “In football now, analysts are very prominent at every club. It’s like chess, they know your next move.

"I was disappointed with Sunday. Normally both these teams go at it a little bit more. This one was a little bit timid. We missed a penalty, which obviously didn’t help, and game was a bit of a non-event. There were no real chances in it and credit to Notts County because they did a job on us, if the truth be known.

"Their out-of-possession work was excellent. They negated us to nothing and apart from the goal I’m not sure they had anything.

"Both teams will look at it and say, what can we do better?”

Back on the Wembley theme, even though a trip there for a play-off final comes with the potential for heartache, it is still seen as the best way to go up.

"I have never done it, so I can’t tell you if that’s true,” added Cook. “My emotions are very much that it is a big game tomorrow, let’s get on with it.

"It will be a great crowd. There will be nothing in it at the start so may the best team win.”