Have I met you before?

Chesterfield FC 3 - 0 Rochdale AFC

Journey:

It happens at work. It happens at parties. It happens in shopping centres. In truth, it can happen just about anywhere. That awkward moment where you realise that you should know the person stood right in front of you – but for the life of you, you can’t think where from. You think that you know them – and they certainly seem to know you – but can you remember who they are? Unlikely.

The very last thing you are going to do is ask: ‘Sorry, have I met you before?’. It would be the logical thing to do. Yet no-one does. Instead you just grin inanely hoping that the penny will drop sooner rather than later.

At 17:10 I left Warrington. This part of my journey is usually the most stressful as I typically spend the next 20 minutes locked in a battle of wills with my SatNav, Jane. Will she or won’t she take me to where I want to go? Not a bit of it today. Postcode goes in. Destination calculated. Off we go.

‘Sorry, have I met you before?’

It still looked like Jane, but this isn’t the Jane I know. The old Jane – if she was actually a person as opposed to a piece of moulded plastic– was the kind of girl you would find dancing on the bar, swigging Jack Daniels from the bottle and either questioning the masculinity of rugby players or offering to arm-wrestle them.

New Jane occasionally forgets where she is or where she is going. Other than that, she is harmless. I had the occasional urge to ask her if she was warm enough and perhaps to offer her a small sherry.

Aside of her rather alarming personality transformation her route planning was excellent. Straight through the Peak District National Park. As you may have gathered from earlier instalments, I do like a little bit of countryside. The Peak District is lots of big countryside. Hills, valleys, forests, streams, tiny stone built villages – all viewed from a sinuous ribbon of tarmac where I could once again indulge my Jeremy Clarkson road test fantasies. The best journey of this season by miles. With the bucolic splendour of the Peak District whizzing past my windows I could reflect on the fact that whilst my Wild Child, It Girl SatNav was probably gone forever - slightly dotty, favourite aunt SatNav had done a very good job.

At 18:45 or there abouts I arrived at Saltergate, the home of Chesterfield Town FC.

Weather:

Having put in an appearance for the last week or so, Spring decided to have a little rest today. As I walked towards the ground heavy black clouds fringed the horizon, bathed in the dregs of a lurid purple sunset. Compared to the clear, bright skies on Saturday, this evening’s back drop looked positively ominous. It wasn’t just the sky either. Chesterfield was being lashed by an arctic gale which defied any form of warm clothing. Absolutely freezing.

Food:

I think I may have actually found the best pie in League Two! A nice golden brown, not too hot, not damp and a generous amount of filling. Pricey at £2.60 – but worth every penny. It was like angels were dancing in my mouth.

Ground:

Erm. Well. It has got a lot of history and many original features…

I give up – it is dilapidated and pretty unattractive in most respects. I had a very brief stay in the main stand – where I was shocked to find that most of it is wooden – seating takes the form of school style wooden benches.

My stay was brief because my co-conspirators for the evening – Playboy, Iceman and Amancalledshaun – had decided to ignore my desire to stay in the stand and had gone into the open terraced area behind the goal.

It's like a joke – but much, much smaller.

After some negotiating with stewards I was allowed to join the comic trio and the other 600 or so Rochdale fans who had made the trip.

The change of location did have one fantastic bonus however. I had the chance to level almost unending mirth at Iceman’s stylish, new, all-wool overcoat. A triumph of the tailor’s art – which offered absolutely no protection from the wind whatsoever. Most diverting.

Action:

News. In spite of attempts to hold onto him for another month, Nicky Adams has gone back to Leicester City. His stay at Rochdale was not without success – but I think most people expected a little more from the ex-Bury man. That said, it was great to have him in the side – and very few would turn their noses up if the chance came around again.

Reserve full-back, Raphale Evans, has gone out on loan to Leigh Genesis. Whilst it sounds like the lead singer from a 1970’s prog rock band – it is in point of fact a football team. Taking advantage of the emergency transfer window, Mr. Hill has already brought in centre forward, Gary Madine, from Carlisle. In his second swoop he has brought in Grimsby Town full-back, Tom Newey, until the end of the season.

Only two changes to the starting line-up which faced Wycombe - Adam Rundle slotting into the left wing berth in place of the now departed Nicky Adams and Gary Madine taking Lee Thorpe's spot upfront.

Mr. Singh got things underway and it was rapidly pretty clear that there were problems. After the heddy success at the weekend both I and the assembled Rochdale faithful expected more of the same. Unfortunately, it didn't materialise.

Chesterfield have been on a good run lately and sought to impress themselves upon the game quickly. I am on record as not being a huge fan of Chesterfield. This is borne of watching their over aggressive, over physical, cynical gamesmanship on a few more occasions than I would have chosen to stomach. The thing is - a completely different Chesterfield turned out tonight...

Classy defending, slick passing, pacy wingers and wiley forwards had Dale in difficulties from the off.

'Sorry, have I met you before?'

There is probably some irony in the fact that the Spirite's chose to really turn it on for my first visit to Saltergate. Probably...

Dale defended ever more desperately and sought to escape the ever more determined advances of Chesterfield by getting the ball out of harm's way. By getting the ball up to the strikers.

Here again there was a problem. Madine was expected to play the role Thorpe traditionally plays: win the ball in the air and bring the other striker or midfielders into the game - or - hold the ball and bring the other striker or midfielders into the game. A combination of poor control and expert defensive work meant that he rarely managed either. Every attempt to relieve the pressure simply triggered another Spirite attack.

The only genuine surprise was that Chesterfield took so long to make a breakthrough. It took until the 34 minute mark. The unremitting Spirite pressure finally forced a mistake from Kennedy. His sliced clearance found its way to Jack Lester inside the Rochdale area, who kept his feet while Dale defenders threw themselves in the path of his feinted shot's. Having watched Rochdale's troop of tumblers go about their business, he picked his spot and drove the ball past Fielding. 1-0 Chesterfield.

Half time was a mercy when it came. Dale could and possibly should have been 2 or 3 to the worse.

Half time was not a brilliant experience. Lashed by a swirling gale. Frozen. A goal behind. Playing badly. The raptures of Saturday seemingly a lifetime away.

I couldn't even text Mr. Keane - my phone battery had died just before the first half kicked off. Still, I could amuse myself at the expense of Iceman's coat - so all was not lost. Encouragingly Dale started the second half with a bit more purpose - Rundle in particular provided hope that something could be salvaged and Dagnall produced Rochdale's first serious effort of the game - saved at Dagnall's feet by some time Dale hero, Tommy Lee.

Rochdale were straining every sinew to force a way back into the game. Inevitably this created spaces for the Spirites to exploit. On 61 minutes they exploited. A rapid counter attack found Jack Lester lurking on the edge of the Dale area with his back to goal. Stanton seemed to have him under control - he just had to stop him from turning. He couldn't. 2-0 Chesterfield.

Rochdale made changes - Buckley replaced the injured LeFondre, Toner replaced Keltie and Thorpe replaced Madine. Dale really went for it and a string of half chances followed. But with a two goal cushion the Spirites could afford to defend in depth - a defend they did.

Dale had a decent shout for a penalty as a Dagnall shot cannoned off a Chesterfield hand which Mr. Singh waved away - moments later there was an even stronger shout as a Buckley shot, having evaded Lee, has punched off the Spirite's goal line by a defender. Once again, Mr Singh saw no infringement.

As before, Rochdale's attempts to claw their way back into the tie meant that gaps appeared in their defences. On 86 minutes a cute back heel from that man Lester gave Robertson the chance to romp through the hole where the Rochdale defenders should have been and slotted the ball past an utterly helpless Fielding. 3-0 Chesterfield.

The dying minutes were punctuated by the Chesterfield throng enquiring if they could play us every week.

Do I not like Chesterfield

Summary:

'Sorry, have I met you before?'

Was this the same Rochdale who played Wycombe off the park last Saturday? I recognised the players and I recognised their play - but this wasn't the team I saw at the weekend. They simply didn't get the chance.

Chesterfield played with pace, style and no small amount of skill. Dale were simply swept away in the first half and only some frantic defending saved them from a worse fate. The second half was mostly Dale, but organised Spirite defending meant that clear opportunities were few. Rochdale's increasingly frenzied efforts to get back in the game set them up to be picked off on the counter attack - which Chesterfield did with aplomb. Pleasingly, Dale never gave up - on the night it just wasn't enough.

Having scored in every one of their last 29 games, Dale finally drew a blank. As is the way with these things, the all time record for scoring in consecutive games - 46 in total in the 1930-31 season - was Chesterfield.

Turner Watch:

With the crucial World Cup qualifier against Ukraine approaching, Mr. Turner is waiting by the phone for that all important call from Mr. Capello.

25/03/09