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1st XI Match Reports

North Staffs 3 – 0 Chesterfield

Match report by Eric Harth

After meeting at a time that most players only thought existed in an evening ("I didn't realise there was a 9 in the morning as well", Boz) CHC set off towards Newcastle-under-Lyme and the home pitch of North Staffs. Having spent the last three weeks under the new fitness and training regime of Cluer, spirits were high, though heads were focused with the thoughts that they needed to take home three points to begin the climb from the relegation zone.

The game started in ernest and CHC were firing on all cylinders. From the crunching, yet solid, tackling of Brocklehurst, to the no stop shuttling of Beardsley and Battye the team didn't allow the home side a moments respite. Chances were created early on, with Evans and the midfield appearing, as if from nowhere, to intercept passes out of defence and feed them to McCormick and Bointon waiting in the D only to see the shot go wide by inches or get picked out by the keeper. The home side struggled to put together an effective attack only slipping through on one occasion and getting a tight angle shot off that went wide across the face of the goal.

Though CHC clearly had the upper hand but they were yet to make their mark on the score board. This looked like it was all about to change when an over-enthusiastic home defender took down Bointon as he raced through on goal. The player went down, the crowd gasped, the umpire pointed to the penalty spot. Battye stepped up to do the honours only to see his flick rebound from the keepers outstretched leg. Bloodied by unbowed, Chesterfield finished the half with renewed vigour but saw the scoreboard remain at 0-0.

Chesterfield knew the home team would come out swinging in the second half and play started well with crisp passing moves down the right through Brocklehurst, Grant and Fearn. North Staffs had clearly done some analysis during the break and identified front man Cowley as a player who needed to be stopped. With the centre options being shut down Chesterfield struggled to break the home defence in the same way as the first half. The home team counter attacked with renewed vigour. A short corner saw the home team go ahead thanks to a deflected shot. As the visitors began to try and attack higher up the pitch it stretched the defence allowing the home team a further goal on the breakaway. From there on out things looked bleak. With import centre back Lawler getting sent off the visitors had to quickly try and plug the hole in their defence. Alas it was all too little too late, the home team took a further goal against the weakened side to finish the game 3-0.

Chesterfield V Mansfield - 4-2 - Saturday 30th January 2009

A must win game for both teams started off with Chesterfield running the show, dominating possession and passing the ball around well. A good attack resulted in a short corner in the first 5 minutes, Adam Bointon dragged out well and a clean strike found itself saved by the keeper only for Christian Battye to get to the rebound. BANG! CHETERFIELD 1 – 0.

A good start needed to continue, not helped by Josh Brocklehurst missing the first aerial of the game to put Mansfield centre forward Glenn Richardson through on goal, only a good save from Matty Lloyd saved his skin.

Another good patch from Chesterfield resulted in another great goal from one of the veterans, Dave McCormick. 2 – 0 CHESTERFIELD.

Obviously being the same old Chesterfield side we couldn’t make it easy; what should have been a ‘simple’ pass from the left hand side from Ed Lawler to the centre back turned into a disaster when his poxy little deception pass fell straight to Richardson who tucked it away nicely in the bottom right.

Chesterfield DIDN’T (that’s right) DIDN’T turn on each other for a change and continued to play the way they have been wanting to all season, a good run of play found Adam Bointon with his back against the goal needing to beat 3 men and the keeper. Bointon weaved, twisted and turned like a little ballet dancer in slow motion and with some great skill and a precise finish put Chesterfield 3-1 up.

With about 5 minutes to go before half time Lee Welsby put in a crunching tackle within the 25 which the umpire deemed worthy of a short corner. The shorty was dragged out and a Josh Brocklehurst like drag flick luckily went in between Matt Lloyd’s legs to make it 3 – 2 at half time.

A new team talk actually reminding us that we were winning was a nice change and a fired up Chesterfield side was ready to go.

A well matched second half stayed 3 – 2 for about 20 minutes with Chesterfield having a goal disallowed when Bointon was victim of what looked like a serious foul. The umpire, however, decided that Adam was guilty of a stick block and pointed Mansfield’s way.

A good defensive display with Beardsley and Battye working hard in the middle began to take its toll on a tiring Mansfield side.

Charlie Grant was running the show at right midfield, putting in some hard tackles and running at the defence mercilessly. Sixteen year old Mike Fearn and the rapid Chris Cowley were also a constant threat upfront.

The game looked to be petering out when Brocklehurst committed a petty foul and was rightly given his marching orders.

Once Chesterfield were restored to 11 men, a fourth goal seemed inevitable. A surging move from the forwards resulted in Battye breaking into the ‘D’, his deflected shot fell to the ageless John Beardsley who tucked the rebound away Gary Lineker style. A relieved side line was going crazy as they knew the 3 points were safe.

With the comfort of a two goal lead Chesterfield were able to move the ball around (much like the great Spurs side of 1987/88) and Mansfield couldn’t get close.

I’m sure a good few hangovers will have followed what was a well deserved first win of the year for Chesterfield.

Josh Brocklehurst

7th February Chesterfield 3 – 2 Melton

Chesterfield edged their way off the bottom of the Midlands Premier League with a vital win against fellow strugglers Melton.

In near perfect playing conditions for the time of year (i.e it wasn’t snowing) Chesterfield were able to take control of the game playing some (whisper it) possession hockey. The home side always looked threatening and it was no surprise when they took the lead, Beardsley converting a well worked (yes, you read that correctly) penalty corner routine. After more sustained pressure, a second goal followed: another penalty corner, another clean strike, another goal from the veteran Beardsley. At 2-0 Chesterfield looked comfortable and Matt Cluer even decided to have a wee nap 5 metres from his own goal. After taking a snooze, Cluer awoke to find Melton had made the game 2-1 and that his teammates were chasing him in a 28 Days Later style rampage. As punishment Cluer was rightly subjected to a nightmarish Masonic ritual in the changing room after the game. The exact location of Matt at time of writing is unknown but he was last seen running semi naked through the scrubland at the back of Brampton Manor with Matt Lloyd in close pursuit wielding a rusty axe.

More panic followed but Chesterfield made it to half time 2-1 up. In lieu of snuff and brandy, Chesterfield had to make do with a polite reminder from manager Jamie Cluer that the game still needed to be won.

The first 15 minutes of the second half once again saw the home side in control, even if the game was becoming fractured and ever so slightly tetchy. With the support of the home crowd, Chesterfield surged forward and won another penalty corner. A changed routine saw Ed Lawler step up to score his first goal for the club, beating the keeper with a sort of slap thingy from the top of the circle. If the first 15 minutes were good for the greens, then the next 20 were utterly desperate. Brocklehurst was sent off for a petulant ‘tackle’, the team lost their shape and much like the Outlaw Josey Wales, Chesterfield went maverick. Melton were able to secure a foothold in a game they were previously out of. Some good skill from the away side in midfield began to cause Chesterfield problems. All of a sudden, Chesterfield were exposed at the back, leaving the reliable Harth with no option but to foul the Melton forward on the line. Harth was sent off, the stroke was converted and Chesterfield were left clinging to a one goal lead. Yet, on a dimming Sunday afternoon Melton were unable to find the extra goal. Chesterfield hung onto a valuable 3 points and retired to Brampton Manor to watch another impotent Arsenal performance on the big screen. A good end to the day.

Christian Battye

Results News - 2009/2010