Score and Scorers

Starting Line Ups

Chesterfield

Substitutes

Chesterfield

Yellow and Red Cards

Chesterfield

76'

Stat Attack

Chesterfield

Other Information

Tactics? What Tactics?

By Alun Thomas

PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS: Of course it's impossible to visit Chesterfield without memories of 1997 flooding back. Saltergate is still a dump, although the old away terracing has been torn up and replaced by, erm, new away terracing. The Spireites come into this game on the back of a 7-0 drubbing by Plymouth, which won't have pleased Roy McFarland, one of the best England centre-halves of the last 40 years (not that that's saying much). Wrexham stand on the play-off fringes. If we'd held onto the lead at Luton, and Hector hadn't missed a penalty against Wycombe, we'd be third.

CONDITIONS: Bitterly cold and windy. Pitch, though, looked in superb nick.

TACTICS: You what?

SUM UP OUR PERFORMANCE IN ONE SENTENCE: A collective, and bitterly disappointing, off day.

TURNING POINT: You'd have to say their winner, with four minutes to go.

MAIN INCIDENTS AND GOALS:

0-15 Minutes: Wrexham looked lethargic from the off and were almost immediately under pressure from Chesterfield's crisp passing and committed running. Morgan uncomfortable with three early crosses, and the Wrexham players who thrive on time and space - Carlos, Ferguson, Barrett - were being denied both. Score 0-0.

15-30 Minutes: It was becoming apparent that we weren't at the races. Disjointed in defence ; bereft of ideas in midfield ; the front men isolated. Llewellyn in particular was having a nightmare. Score 0-0.

30-45 Minutes: Great recovering tackle from Eddie to deny Marvin Robinson, a Racecourse target last summer, as he was bearing down on Dibble. The windy conditions weren't helping but the ball was being given away far too often. Score 0-0.

let's hope this will be a turning point just like Exeter away last year was

Kingdai on the RP Message board

click here to have your say

45-60 Minutes: Denis's half-time arse-kicking session (one presumes there was one) looked to have had a temporary effect but we soon reverted to the unacceptable standards of the first 45. However, a terrific through ball from Carlos did release Hector, who was tripped well inside the area - the ref waved play on.

60-75 Minutes: Regular Wrexham watchers will recognise that feeling of impending doom. The opening goal came from ex-Forest man Blatherwick's header, which looked to have caught Dibble off his line. Armstrong came on for Barrett and immediately looked menacing - a welcome sight. Score 1-0.

75-90 Minutes: Sam was again brought down, this time just outside the box, and Ferguson's free-kick induced a brief ping-pong session before Armstrong gleefully booted in the loose ball. Most people would have settled for 1-1 after such a poor show, but even that was beyond us, parity lasting about as long as a Britney Spears marriage. We could have fallen behind a couple of times before the home side's Evatt, with time to consider his options, sidefooted home and suddenly there was no way back. Final Score 2-1.

OPPOSITION AND FANS: Chesterfield didn't look like a side whose last outing was a seven-goal drubbing. Their first-half football was neat and incisive and in truth they could have been three up at half-time. 6/10. It took their fans 70 minutes to raise a chant but from then on they were noisy. 4/10.

OFFICIALS: Not good. Mr. Wright (!) wasn't the reason we lost but some of his decisions were dubious to say the least. I'm thinking in particular of his penalising of Lawrence for a perfectly-timed tackle, which incensed even the mild-mannered Dennis ; his refusal of a second-half penalty when Sam was tripped ; and, after Sam (again) had been pulled down, he moved the ball back 10 yards rather than the Chesterfield wall! On the other hand, his application of the advantage rule worked in our favour more than once. 4/10.

MAN OF THE MATCH: I'm tempted to say Armstrong, who looked energetic and close to full fitness, and MOTM for a 20-minute appearance would be a fair reflection on our showing today. However, our best overall player was Jim Whitley - I'm not his biggest fan but he was everywhere today.

IF YOU WERE DS: I'd have been lost for words.

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: We lost. It was an awful game. It was cold. 'Nuff said.

Jump To: Match Stats, Match Reports, Detailed Match Reports, Other Match Reports, Press Conference Quotes, Division 2 Results, League Table.

BBCi: Chesterfield 2 Wrexham 1 - Minute-by-minute

Ananova: FT- Chesterfield 2 Wrexham 1

Denis Smith: "The goals we conceded were an absolute disgrace. With the experience I've got at the back, it is not acceptable. We should have got a draw after we equalised so late on, but to allow another goal in at that stage was comical. I'm just absolutely steaming. It was dire." [Source: News of the World]

Chris Armstrong: "It's very frustrating after getting back in the game. We looked favourites once we equalised, we were thinking we could go on and get all three points, so to come away with nothing is disappointing. I'm not going to give the defence stick now - it's just football - because we had an off day all round." [Source: BBCi]

Results

Blackpool

0-1

Queens Park Rangers

Rowlands 38'

7,329

Bournemouth

O'Connor 50' (p)

Fletcher 55'

2-1

Port Vale

Boyd 23'

5,926

Brentford

Hunt 18'

May 62'

Evans Sent Off 11'

2-2

Tranmere Rovers

Dadi 9' 60'

4,104

Brighton & Hove Albion

0-0

Oldham Athletic

6,036

Chesterfield

Blatherwick 70'

Evatt 86'

2-1

Wrexham

Armstrong 76'

3,585

Colchester United

Andrews 25'

1-1

Barnsley

Betsy 79'

Burns Sent Off 81'

3,507

Grimsby Town

0-0

Plymouth Argyle

5,007

Hartlepool United

Williams 37'

1-0

Peterborough United

Gill Sent Off 78'

4,855

Notts County

Butler 42' (og)

1-2

Bristol City

Peacock 11'

Goodfellow 90'

6,403

Rushden & Diamonds

Kitson 17'

Hunter 65'

2-2

Luton Town

Forbes 6'

Holmes 39'

5,823

Sheffield Wednesday

Robins 72'

1-1

Swindon Town

Mooney 52'

22,751

Stockport County

Lambert 9' (p)

Lynch 43'

2-0

Wycombe Wanderers

4,406

League Table