Chesterfield v Torquay United match thread

[Gullscorer]

First the weather. Heavy rain is forecast for Chesterfield all day today, as it is for most of the country, and rain is also forecast tomorrow right up to kick-off time. Yet, despite the forecast and all the rain sweeping across the country, there’s no sign (as of Friday pm) of any game being called off.

So assuming it does go ahead, well, the Gulls have never won a league game at Chesterfield, who are currently flying high three points clear at the top of the division. With us being 23rd in the table and having lost at home to bottom club Northampton Town on Tuesday, it should be obvious to everyone in the country that we’re going to come away from the awfully-named Proact Stadium with a brilliant win to put us on course for League Two safety. Very unlikely.

The division this season has been so tight and competitive (if that’s the right word) that for the most part anybody could beat anybody, and I don’t think anybody will know who will be relegated until the final game of the season. So a defeat, contrary to what the whingers and doom-mongers may say, would not automatically confirm our status as a relegated club. However, with the leaders pulling away at the top, the possibility of the bottom teams beating the top teams becomes less and less.

And yet stranger things have happened. As I said, it’s very unlikely, but if our lads approach the game with the right attitude of determination and fighting spirit, if Chris Hargreaves makes the correct choice of team selection, formation and tactics, and if Chesterfield subconsciously feel that all they have to do is turn up on the pitch and they’ve won the game (again, unlikely), then we might just come away with a point or at least a creditable performance to give us hope for future games. Even so, I wouldn't put a bet on the Gulls for this game. especially with the ridiculously short odds being offered..!!

Certainly both the team managers will have done their best to prepare their teams thoroughly for the game. This is Chesterfield’s second season in the division following their relegation from League One, and manager Paul Cook, who was appointed in October 2012, could well announce an unchanged side from their game last weekend when they drew 1-1 at Scunthorpe. Their team that day was: Lee, Darikwa, Humphreys, Morsy, Evatt, Cooper, Ryan, Gardner (sub. Talbot), Roberts, Doyle (sub. Gnanduillet), Banks ( sub. Richards); Substitutes: Smith, Hird, Richards, O'Shea, Gnanduillet, Talbot, Dunbavin.

The Gulls’ last game was , as we know, on Tuesday, when we surrendered to Northampton 1-2, and Billy Bodin was injured in a bad tackle. He will not be fit for the Chesterfield game, and I would expect to see manager Chris Hargreaves make a few more changes for Saturday. Our team v Northampton was: Poke, O'Connor, Nicholson, Lathrope, Pearce, Goodwin (sub. O'Brien), Mansell, Labadie, Benyon (sub. Hawley), Stockley, Bodin (sub. Chapell); Substitutes: Tonge, Downes, Hawley, Chapell, Rice, Cruise, O'Brien.

Recent form: Chesterfield: P6, W3, D2, L1, F11, A8; they are unbeaten in 6 games in all competitions, and in their last home game on 1 February, Chesterfield beat Bristol Rovers 3-1. Torquay (among all the postponements): P6, W2, D1, L3, F5, A6; in their last away game on 1 February, Torquay beat Portsmouth 1-0.

The referee for the game is Carl Boyeson from Hull. http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/A ... 57,00.html http://www.soccerbase.com/referees/refe ... ree_id=806

Useful links: http://www.chesterfield-fc.co.uk/ http://www.thecfss.co.uk/forums/index.php?act=idx http://www.torquayunited.com/index.aspx http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/football

Don't know how many brave souls will venture up to Chesterfield to support the Gulls for this one, but every single one of them will deserve a medal for doing so..

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Chesterfield nailed on to be Champions in my view but Greavsie will be expecting a reaction from his players' after Tuesday's poor performance and I think he'll get it.
Draw: 1-1( Stockley).

[PhilGull]

Away to the top of the table, the best team in the league. I'm going to say that it's not a forgone conclusion and that if the boys work hard and get in their faces then we do have a chance of coming away with something more than a runny nose from the cold.

Not got a clue what the line-up will be but if it were me it would be this.

Poke
O'Connor Pearce Downes Cruise
Harding Lathrope Labadie
Chapell Stockley Goodwin

Rice Tonge Cooper Rudge Cameron Stevens O'Brien

1-1 (Richards) (Labadie)

[chardie]

First away game of the season for me, travelled up from that there Londin this morning, and have checked in at the hotel across the road from the stadium.

Can confirm it is p***ing down.

Not expecting much result wise but hoping for a decent performance.

COYY!!

[nickbrod]

If the attitude and commitment which were so evident at Portsmouth are present we stand a chance. Turn up as we did on Tuesday against Northampton then we can all guess the result.
There are bound to be changes in the line-up all over the pitch is my guess. Downes back in against his old team is a real possibility in my opinion. Major concern is Labadie only one booking away from a two match ban.

[Gullscorer]

Managers' pre-match interviews:

[nickbrod]

Oh dear poor old Chris who sounds deflated after that Northampton defeat; he's certainly hurting. I hope there's someone around to pick him up.
The best cure? The players to make up for Tuesday and put in a performance tomorrow (weather permitting).

[bixieupnorth]

wheres andy, has he done one again??

hopefully will get to see him at chesterfield tomor, will be in the darby tup from half one til ko

[PlainmoorRoar]

I was surprised to see Accy 2-0 up at HT tonight v Scunthorpe

FT Accy 2 - 3 Scunthorpe

[Gullscorer]

One thing which may work in our favour is Chesterfield's JPT area final second leg game against Fleetwood next Tuesday, if their minds are subconsciously half-distracted by that, it could give us a vital edge. Possibly..

[gullno4]

3-0 to them

[ferrarilover]

3-0 to them

And the second half?

Matt.

[stefano]

3-0 to them

3-0 to us

[tktufc91]

Chesterfield haven't lost a home league game since the middle of October so they're due a defeat. It will take a huge effort to come back with three points although if you offered me a point now I would take it.

If we do lose, let's try to not get too downbeat. They will be going up and are the best team in the division. We need to sort out our home form and best teams around us.

[bixieupnorth]

absolutely battering it down with rain all night here in south sheffield

their website has no mention of pitch inspections or anything, so assuming the safety people are happy with the winds then it looks like it'll be going ahead?

1130 meet at sheffield tap, train over oneish, taxi to the darby tup for a few more, then into the town after, white swan and rutland arms our likely destinations!

2-1 defeat, o brien