It wasn’t so long ago where it looked as if Paul Cook’s men would have the opportunity to secure the league title at Meadowbank, but a recent blip in what has been an outstanding season leaves the Spireites with a little more work to do.

Chesterfield’s 0-2 win at 3rd placed Barnet on Tuesday ended a winless run which extended over three games – goals from Michael Jacobs and Will Grigg getting the visitors over the line at The Hive; the latter taking his goal tally up to 22 for the season.

Wanderers, who now sit in 23rd after results elsewhere in midweek, will be looking to end a troubling run of three straight home defeats. When speaking on Saturday’s loss in his weekly update, the boss stated “[the game] was best summed up by ‘we found a way to lose’, a couple of soft goals [conceded] at home again.”

“We need to fight it off, be resilient and look forward to the next good day at Meadowbank“

White, who was in positive spirits in his weekly catch-up, was keen to focus on the “good days” at Meadowbank, “we’ve outplayed and beaten some massive clubs at Meadowbank, those times can come again”. The boss also emphasised the groups readiness for what will be a big challenge tomorrow.

“The boys are ready to run through brick walls tomorrow, we’re all looking forward to competing against a great side and a great manager”

The tough test Chesterfield present sets the tone for a big month for Marc White and his team as they face each of the top four before April. The Spireites visit precedes the cursed trip to Altrincham next Tuesday night, where the two sides are finally set to play out a fixture which has seen multiple postponements, before we travel to Maidenhead United on the following Saturday.

Team News

After picking up a red card in last week’s clash with Ebbsfleet, Tony Craig will be unavailable for Chesterfield’s visit, meaning Joe Cook could be in line to make his first start since returning from his short-term loan at Weymouth.

The Wanderers manager was upbeat in his view of the squad’s fitness ahead of the busy month of March, stating that there are “loads of players available” as the boys prepare for the final 12 fixtures of the campaign.

Opposition Focus – The Spireites

Chesterfield’s runaway season leaves them needing a maximum of just four wins from their remaining eleven games to secure the league title, meaning they could finalise their glory within the next fortnight.

The clubs pending return the EFL comes after three unsuccessful play-off attempts since their relegation in 2017/18, their most recent heartbreak of course coming in last years final against Notts County. In his weekly update, White stated that The Blue’s deserved to win last years play-off final, before lauding the job Cook and his staff have overseen this campaign, “real big credit to Paul Cook and his management team, to reset the boys and go again [after last seasons play-off disappointment], proper leadership, proper management.”

Despite their fate for the season being all but wrapped up, The Blues still have the opportunity to further solidify their dominance in 2023/24 – they currently sit 31 goals shy of Notts County’s record of 117 goals in a season.

A contributor to their prowess in front of goal this campaign has been Grigg, who is chasing Eastleigh’s Paul McCallum (26 goals) for the National League Golden Boot award.

Tom Naylor has been a standout performer for The Blues this campaign. With an impressive ten goals from midfield, it’s easy to see why the former Wigan man has been a mainstay in Cook’s team.

Last Time We Met

Chesterfields last visit to Meadowbank came in our first ever game in the division, where the two sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Wanderers fell behind to a Akwasi Asante strike with just shy of 20 minutes played, before Spireites ‘keeper Lucas Covolan was sent off soon for an off the ball incident.

Despite being down to ten men, Armando Dobra doubled the hosts’ lead as Dorking experienced the raised standards of the fifth tier for the first time. However in ‘typical Wanderers fashion’, The Wanderers fought back to earn a point, with goals from James McShane and Luke Moore leaving a lasting memory of Dorking’s maiden game in the division.

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Match Updates

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