Game 36 - The Spireites (H)

Team: Chesterfield

Date: 26/03/2022

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Ian Burchnall opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

Next challenge will be the high press that they are bound to adopt again, but if we beat them we can then see Halifax in our sights. Stockport & Wrexham will finish first and second by the look of things, the challenge is to grab that 3rd place spot., which would be unbelievable bearing in mind we looked to be struggling to make the playoffs at all a couple of weeks ago.

What a hugely important game. A win would give Notts a massive chance of finishing second given the fixtures we have left. The momentum is with Notts but Chesterfield are a dangerous opponent. Kabongo Tshimanga is a huge loss for them but they have had other key injuries as well. I'm surprised they didn't strengthen their squad before the window closed. A couple of more injuries and they will be in trouble. Enough about Chesterfield. Notts have a great home record, the atmosphere will be electric, the sun will be shining (I'm guessing this). A home win for me. 

Hoping for a nice easy afternoon in the sun, but these are the type of games where we seem to lose our way a little bit. Going for a Notts win, but a tense one.

Chesterfield have injuries and Kellerman is suspended for them so not a bad time to play them.

I think we'll stick with the 3-5-2, it's working at the moment, so same team that won against Boreham wood for me. Hopefully Lacey is okay and D-KE deserves to play LWB but I can see him coming off after about 60 mins, cos I'm almost certain he'll be on yellow and last warning by then! Really tough on Sam though (and Roberts if he's fit again). But a 3-5-2 just doesn't play to their strengths. And I even think Nemane's been very unfortunate to not get more game time, I like him.

I'm never confident when it comes to predicting a win, but given the recent results and introduction of Arter I am a lot more more hopeful!

Fair result in the end, with a little help from the ref....

Am I happy with a point? No, but I'm satisfied. I'd take 5 points from this and our next 2. Then we have 7 games against lower half sides to finish the season. We should make the playoffs, I think it will be a 3rd place finish. 

For a so called derby game I thought the first 20 minutes were quite tame, Chesterfield just let us have the ball and when they did get it we didn't want to tackle them! That goal was bad and Whittle was just able to stroll into the box completely unmarked. Then for the equaliser watching in real time I thought it was a nailed on pen. Having seen the replays it's soft, he retracts his leg but his momentum takes him into Ruben. When you dive in the penalty area you're asking for trouble though. We had some nearly moments but the first half was a bit meh...

Second half was better the tempo was quicker but weirdly for us I thought we lacked numbers in our attacks sometimes and we took another touch when we could've had a shot. How Woots missed the header I don't know. Should we have got some fresh legs on upfront for the last 15? Nemane and Sam combo, would that have worked? Who knows. Still had a few ffs moments when we dallied on the ball a few times and nearly gave Chesterfield a goal. Asante's miss was almost as bad as Woots, luckily he was not on it for a lot of that game.

7 points from 9, I'll take that, so called big games out the way (until the play-offs at least) can we finish the season unbeaten now though ????

 

 

Thought Arter was poor on Saurday, looked to be carrying an injury and his corners were a real struggle. As for the game, it was a fair result, but thought we could have won it. Wootton's miss was an even bigger one that Asante's for me and he should have buried it. Miller hit the post but I thought Slocombe had it covered as it was right in front of me. Other than that it was a game of few chances and the keepers were only really troubled by a couple of deflected shots and Rubens mishit drag back shot.

Next two games are biggies and as @menzinho says, I would definitely take 4 points from them.