TT MATCH PREVIEW – Chesterfield (A) by Steve Harris

TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

Steve Harris previews the game at The Technique Stadium

CHESTERFIELD VS TORQUAY UNITED

Venue: The Technique Stadium, Chesterfield

Date: Tuesday 18th April 2023

Kick-off: 7.45pm

CURRENT FORM

Chesterfield: W, W, D, L, W, W

Torquay: L, W, W, W, W, W

TOP SCORERS

Chesterfield: Armando Dobra (10)

Torquay: Aaron Jarvis (18)

HEAD TO HEAD

Chesterfield: 20

Draw: 14

Torquay: 13

CHESTERFIELD FACTFILE

Year founded: 1866

Nickname: The Spireites

Last season’s league finish: 7^th in National League

Notable honours:

Division Four/Division Three/League Two:

Winners: 1969-70, 1984-85, 2010-11, 2013-14

Division Three North:

Winners: 1930-31, 1935-36

Football League Trophy:

Winners: 2011-12

FA Cup:

Semi-finalists: 1996-97

MANAGER: PAUL COOK

Currently in his second spell as manager of Chesterfield, Paul Cook returned to the Spireites in February 2022, following the departure of James Rowe.

After making his name as a manager with Southport, Sligo Rovers and Accrington Stanley, Cook took charge of Chesterfield in October 2012. He led Chesterfield to the League Two title in the 2013-14 season, which they then followed up by reaching the League One play-offs in the 2014-15 campaign, where they were beaten by Preston North End.

Cook then left the Spireites to take charge of Portsmouth, who he guided to the League Two title in the 2016-17 season before taking charge of Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2017.

In the 2017-18 campaign, Cook steered Wigan to the League One title and guided them to the sixth round of the FA Cup, a run which included wins over West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City before they lost to Southampton. Cook remained in charge of the Latics until July 2020, after they bravely battled against relegation from the Championship despite being hit with a 12-point deduction for entering Administration.

A ten-month spell in charge of Ipswich Town then followed for Cook before he returned to the Technique Stadium.

PLAYER TO WATCH: JOE QUIGLEY

Quigley was signed from National League rivals Yeovil Town in January 2022 for an undisclosed fee and has found the back of the net eight times in the 2022-23 campaign. He began his career at Bournemouth and had a number of loan spells, including the Gulls under Paul Cox in the 2015-16 season, before joining Maidstone United in 2018. A former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, Quigley then went on to play for Bromley and Dagenham & Redbridge before signing for Yeovil in 2020.

QUIGLEY STATS:

Position: Centre Forward

Date of Birth: 10th December 1996 – 26 years-old

Place of Birth: London

International: Ireland U21 (3 Caps, 0 Goals)

Height: 1.91m

Former Clubs: Bournemouth, Torquay, Wrexham, Woking, Gillingham, Newport, Boreham Wood, Maidstone, Havant and Waterlooville, Dagenham and Redbridge, Yeovil

NL Stats 22-23: Played 40, Goals 7, Yellow/Red Cards 3/0

OLD BOYS

Chesterfield: Joe Quigley, Lucas Covolan, Paul McCallum

Torquay: None

LAST MEETING

York City 1-0 Torquay United

Saturday 12th November 2022

Chesterfield remained in touch with National League pacesetters Notts County and Wrexham as they produced a five-star display to defeat struggling Torquay United.

The Spireites were level at the break with the Gulls, but four second half goals, including two from substitutes Jesuran Ugchegbulum and Kabongo Tshimanga, saw them blow their hosts away.

Chesterfield drew first blood on eight minutes when Jamie Grimes headed home a corner from Jeff King.

Torquay levelled matters on the half hour mark when a cross from Tom Lapslie found Dillon De Silva beyond the far post and the QPR loanee drilled home his third goal of the campaign.

United almost edged ahead in the 34^th minute as Grimsby loanee Stephen Wearne connected with a deflected cross from Will Goodwin, but his header was palmed behind for a corner by Chesterfield keeper Ross Fitzsimons.

Four minutes after the restart, the Spireites restored their lead when King played a corner short to Armando Dobra, who then teed up Darren Oldaker to curl home from the edge of the box.

In the 57^th minute, Bailey Clements cut in from the left and curled a shot from 18 yards past United keeper Mark Halstead to score his first professional goal.

In the 68^th minute, Gary Johnson attempted to freshen things up for the Gulls as he replaced Dylan Crowe with Brett McGavin and switched to a 3-4-3 formation.

It was a change that almost paid immediate dividends as two minutes later McGavin played a one-two with Lapslie before firing a powerful shot from the edge of penalty area that was palmed away by Fitzsimons.

However, the game was effectively ended as a contest on 77 minutes when sub Jesuran Uchegbulum curled home Chesterfield’s fourth.

Nevertheless, the scoring wasn’t finished as sub Kabongo Tshimanga struck with the Spireites’ fifth of the afternoon and his sixth of the season.