City 1 Chesterfield 2
Aug 16, 2023 11:14:46 GMT
Post by Rijs on Aug 16, 2023 11:14:46 GMT
A goal late in each half for the Spireites left City fans looking for the positives in another defeat. They were easy to find, as this was our best performance so far, at least in a spirited second-half battle in which we matched the league leaders. Perhaps the large travelling contingent who gave their team wonderful support will say they were below their very best, but Chesterfield looked good to me apart from some wayward long-range shooting, which City also displayed. We played close to our best of last season in that second half, just needing Zac to add an extra dimension. Compared to the Aldershot game, we were tighter at the back, we cut out the sloppy errors in the final third, and we played at a quicker pace, though still not quite as quickly as our opponents at times.
And that was the difference: not much between the teams, and it was good to see us competing with the best, but the visitors were just a little bit faster, a little more crisp and precise, all over the pitch, and they deserved their late win for that 5% all-round superiority. But all credit to our boys too, as they each put in a big shift and so nearly earned themselves a fine draw.
Of course, the timing of their goals hurt most: the first when we just had to defend one corner to go in level at the break, having defended well up to that point, even if we had not created much at the other end. The second was when we thought we had our first point in the bag. The winner was a class goal following a sweet and swift one-touch move. Will Grigg, formerly a £3m Sunderland striker and still looking like an EFL player, had been kept quiet all evening by an excellent performance from Canice Carroll, but once that chance had been carved open for him he made no mistake.
So, the positives: we showed signs we are learning and adapting to the pace of this league; we scored a very good goal, with Josh Parker capping off a superb display with an excellent volley from Coyle's pinpoint cross; we did not give the ball away cheaply in dangerous areas; we worked hard collectively all evening, none more so than debutant Pierre Fonkeu, who ran himself into the ground alongside Parker up front. Perhaps best of all, we were not afraid to take the game to strong opponents and were able to worry them sometimes in the second half. If we play like this regularly we are bound to pick up some points against teams weaker than this, and we still have McEachran to add into the mix, as well as Tafari Moore who was given only a few minutes this time.
On a different note, I was not pleased to note that two of the Chesterfield supporters' coaches left their engines on for what appeared to be the entire evening; at least, they were on before the match and still at the end. In this age of climate crisis, this seems a bad example to set and should be strongly discouraged. It undoes the good done by those who cycle or take public transport to the match.
And that was the difference: not much between the teams, and it was good to see us competing with the best, but the visitors were just a little bit faster, a little more crisp and precise, all over the pitch, and they deserved their late win for that 5% all-round superiority. But all credit to our boys too, as they each put in a big shift and so nearly earned themselves a fine draw.
Of course, the timing of their goals hurt most: the first when we just had to defend one corner to go in level at the break, having defended well up to that point, even if we had not created much at the other end. The second was when we thought we had our first point in the bag. The winner was a class goal following a sweet and swift one-touch move. Will Grigg, formerly a £3m Sunderland striker and still looking like an EFL player, had been kept quiet all evening by an excellent performance from Canice Carroll, but once that chance had been carved open for him he made no mistake.
So, the positives: we showed signs we are learning and adapting to the pace of this league; we scored a very good goal, with Josh Parker capping off a superb display with an excellent volley from Coyle's pinpoint cross; we did not give the ball away cheaply in dangerous areas; we worked hard collectively all evening, none more so than debutant Pierre Fonkeu, who ran himself into the ground alongside Parker up front. Perhaps best of all, we were not afraid to take the game to strong opponents and were able to worry them sometimes in the second half. If we play like this regularly we are bound to pick up some points against teams weaker than this, and we still have McEachran to add into the mix, as well as Tafari Moore who was given only a few minutes this time.
On a different note, I was not pleased to note that two of the Chesterfield supporters' coaches left their engines on for what appeared to be the entire evening; at least, they were on before the match and still at the end. In this age of climate crisis, this seems a bad example to set and should be strongly discouraged. It undoes the good done by those who cycle or take public transport to the match.
