theAnticlough

Tense game, far too evenly matched for my liking! Our backline was absolutely immense, and they had to be because the ball just kept on coming back as the team ahead just couldn't keep a hold of it. Wembley here we come. Potential revenge against Salford - especially for Jatta. I can see that happening

Just one change on the bench - Dennis for Hall COYP

Rodmac as RCB is something we haven't seen all season - thank god. He played there for about 80% of his games last season under Maynard, and it was painful seeing a predominantly left-footed player having to play the position so unnaturally. He told us CB was his position and he's certainly been vindicated this season. MP obviously wanted both Platt and RM in the team and that's when Platt had his injury playing RCB, sprinting up and down the line and turning in the Chesterfield game a few months back. Ness is probably a bit of a weak link unfortunately, but that's whether at RB/RCB or CB (like at Oldham and Cambridge). He's had a lot of good games this season, but I fear he may be another Alex Lacey, who just didn't relish and wasn't equipped to pull off the last ditch defending in the penalty box. Standing statuesque when throwing your body around was more in order. But If Ness-McDonald-Bedeau do the job in these play-offs they'll all be club legends anyway.

Agree, don't fix it if it's not broken. Subs did ok on Saturday. I wonder if Dennis and/or Browne will be on the bench this time.

Mouth-watering prospect tonight. If our players like the occasion - full, raucous Meadow Lane, under lights, and things break for them, Chesterfield might be in for a very difficult night.

So, it's Bolton v Stockport, Ruben v Woots in the L1 Wembley Final. Woots will still be at centre-back....Bolton have to be firm favourites. They seem to have the players to flourish on the Wembley pitch

Good to see Luker with a couple of votes. I didn't hold out any great hopes when he came back from injury, it's a tough and gradual thing to do, generally. But he's exceeded everyone's expectations I think and it's clear the season would have been different had he been fit and he'd be sitting on a double figure goal haul. Remember the breakaway goal he got with Hall early on? What I like is what a good watch he is. A six footer with a low centre of gravity - the turn that got the C'field player booked is from his power and balance. With that low centre of gravity, he's a poor man's Zidane, Barnes, Le Tissier type. He pops up in very awkward places for the opposition. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he'll do Friday night. He might be the player Chesterfield are worrying about the most.

Exciting to read through all of that, Chris. All the new features added to the existing (which I'm, way too slowly, discovering myself) make for an outstanding website. All we need is a little more posting and engagement and the site would be flying. It's fun to exchange views, give opinions, read what others think. With our large and growing fanbase it's a puzzle why there isn't a bit more. Hopefully, that will come.

Missed that game, but was surprised by the result. So'ton v Boro should be a really close one tonight

And the psychology of being a goal up might help us out too. Maybe this team gets anxious starting home games at 0-0. Starting ahead could be liberating for them. You're attacking to extend your advantage not establish it. Concede, and it's just a normal game with home advantage. There's a world where we get the first two goals and that'd be pretty much it.

A lot of players had very good games. I'll give my vote to McDonald @Robbie. A real Captain's performance at the back and such a calming influence with his steady play. He was very much in charge back there. Iorpenda, Jones, Luker, Tsaroulla, Belshaw Robertson did really well too IMO

Yes , a split personality in that sense for sure. 0-1! We'll take that. A classic away performance and a hard-earned clean sheet. Making McDonald captain was such a canny move - it's made us more stable, a lot steadier.

The penalty miss really changed the complexion of the game for us, but it seemed to settle us down. Since then, it's been our kind of game and we look very dangerous breaking from midfield. I fancy us to get the next goal too and wouldn't be surprised if it was Luker again.

Some surprises - I thought Palmer and Grant would start. Robertson and Luker may be more potent players but I thought the other 2 would get the nod. No Browne on the bench (must be injured). No Dennis on the bench. Injured as well? MP picked 11 good players, so why am I feeling shaky about it?

I enjoyed the Championship play-off first legs despite the complete lack of goals. None of those teams look like they could handle the Prem, but looked decent - except for Hull, who are really forgetable. I really fancy Millwall in that one. And it will be nice to see Maca come on and bid to be a Premiership player (if only for a moment) Now it's Stevenage v Stockport and Kyle Wootton playing centee-back. He looks really good. Really looking forward to Ruben v Balders in Bolton v Bradford later

Nor do we have a young keeper who absolutely fills up the goal. I agree @menzinho we don't seem to have an array of natural penalty takers. But to give ourselves the best chance we should have started practising them already. That's why LW was different class. He didn't shirk from this and had them practising 'their' penalty, until it was ingrained in them. When we look back at Wembley....Maca's, Ruben's and Jodi's penalties had the hallmark of serious practice time. I don't mind them starting this after tomorrow. It may be a distraction from a really tough game. But the next game could be pens and we have to be ready. We can't lose because someone like Hall/Kouhyar/Belshaw miss a sudden death pen because they weren't really ready

You know how it goes, there's quite a high chance we're involved in a play-off penalty shoot-out, either at Meadow Lane or Wembley, or both Who do you think our 5 penalty takers will be? Any predictions? All things being equal, from likely starting XIs Jones, McDonald, Tsaroulla, Jatta, Robertson Bearing in mind they always come after 120mins with all subs on the pitch... McDonald, Tsaroulla, Robertson, Dennis, Luker is one guess Didn't Palmer have the chance before and didn't go anywhere near them? I'd keep Iorpenda away from them, too much pressure for a young player. Bedeau too, the goal would shrink in front of him given all the bad luck he's had trying to score.

We have to start well. For this one, I'll have to swallow what I usually want to see to have a team that can nullify them as much as possible, especially in the first half of the first half so to speak. So for this particular game only, a box midfield of Norburn Palmer Iorpenda Grant We have a lot of height in this team - Jatta, Iorpenda, McDonald, Ness, Bedeau. We should win the set piece game with that. Final score? How would you feel about a 2-1 loss? That's what's supposed to happen in these 2-legged semis. Would I take that if offered it now? You'd think not, but the recent Oldham, Chesterfield and a lot of the Salford game tells me, yes, take it. We'd still be with a great shout with 90mins to go at Meadow Lane. (I still wouldn't take it though, I'll take our chances)

Fair enough, It's such an evenly matched play-off line up. I'll be in a minority here, but I have very modest ambitions for these play-offs. Like 80pts was an improvement on 72pts, and 5th place on 6th, I'll take the below in these play-offs, which we didn't have last year... a goal in 3 hours of play some fight and showing that you care Above that will be a bonus. But on our day, we can get past Chesterfield and beat the other two. So all to play for.

I think we have to root for Salford as twisted as that sounds - they're the worst footballing team of the 4 semi-finalists. I'd fancy us to take them to the cleaners at Wembley. They rely on a congested, broken game. And they rely on following Robinson's cheat code. It's one thing doing all that at Salford or Meadow Lane for ordinary league fixtures... But can you really do that at Wembley, on live tv, with the pick of referees interested in maintaining their reputations with all eyes on them? Constant timewasting and general shithousery won't pass off well on Sky TV, in front of 40,000 at the home of football. Myabe they'll just forfeit and not turn up at all ;)

For release/re-sign decisions, I hope performances in these crucial play off games are weighted x 10 compared to regular league matches If we’re ever to get promoted we need players who can perform when the stakes are at their highest

@McPie yes we have the talent, and they'll be worrying about that but there's a reason why bookies like bet365, Ladbrokes, Corals have Chesterfield slight favourites for promotion. On the 2-leg tie, William Hill has C'field 8/11 and Notts Evens. Form and momentum matters. And of our recent results 3-0 at Oldham and 4-0 at Cambridge will have big fat circles drawn around them. On that basis I agree. County have to rise to the occasion and show something very different to those games. Get through this tie and I agree with the feelings on Magpie Circle - the confidence of winning and the big beautiful Wembley pitch should make us favourites if we can get past the spireites

Can't stop listening to this New Order masterpiece this week - Vanishing Point Sad song, but what an ending ''My life ain't no holiday I've been through the point of no return I've seen what the man can do I've seen all the hate of a woman too And they gave him away Like in 'Whistle Down The Wind' By the look on his face He never gave in''

'Looking for a penalty' is a very misleading phrase. Of course the attacking team is looking for penalties - goals or fouls made against them Why not run at players? Unless they tackle you cleanly, you either beat them or win a free kick. Get into the penalty box, and the reward is a penalty. For sure, by the laws of the game one of the incentives of getting the ball in the box is to win a penalty. Maybe one of the main things Tsaroulla had in his mind was to win a penalty. I hope it was. That's the way it should be and there's nothing wrong with that. The problem is with officials being more reluctant to call fouls in the penalty area than out of it.

The main angle replayed on Saturday, Stall's reaction, all kind of supported the ref This is pretty conclusive though... I don't care if Nick's left foot, in that last step, moved to the left ever so slightly. Players have got the right to step on whatever piece of open turf they like. The rules of the game don't dictate where a player can and cannot step. If it's open and you're there first, an opponent shouldn't be kicking and tripping you. Another example of Refs favouring defences to give themselves an easy life. Needs sorting out.