DENTON IS SPIREITES’ SAVIOUR!
TOM DENTON’S equaliser four minutes into time added on snatched a point for struggling Chesterfield but, at the end of a week of contrasting fortunes, neither manager was happy with the result.
Despite two comprehensive defeats, Spireites boss John Sheridan refused to accept the solace of an unexpected draw – and Shots chief Danny Searle was left to contemplate a result that felt like a loss even though his side remained unbeaten through a tough run of fixtures.
“If there’s a positive we’ve come back twice, but we should be doing a lot better. We make the game look difficult, and put ourselves in vulnerable positions by making wrong decisions. I get so frustrated,” admitted Sheridan.
“It’s difficult watching us at the moment and I’ve got to turn things around. We’re a better team than we’re showing but we keep conceding poor goals.”
Matt Tootle, making his debut after signing on loan from Notts County, brought a routine save from Mitch Walker early on, and the lively
Gevaro Nepomuceno saw an 18-yard drive flash well wide.
At the other end, Anthony Gerrard made a superb diving goal-line block to repel Mo Bettamer’s point-blank header, but the opening 45 minutes was drifting to an inevitable conclusion when Bettamer was put through by Ethan Chislett.
In delaying his shot, Bettamer induced a rash challenge from Laurence Maguire, and Chislett himself notched his sixth of the season with a confident penalty.
Chesterfield, though, were level just five minutes after the break, as Jay Sheridan’s outswinging corner was met by the returning Gerrard and diverted in by Scott Boden.
Clear chances remained elusive in a game often as frigid as the wintry air, but the Shots were back in front thanks to Lewis Kinsella’s quick throw-in that sent Chislett breaking into the box, and the pull-back invited the on-rushing Jack Powell to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.
Kinsella then preserved the advantage by clearing Gerrard’s header off the line, but in the dying seconds Curtis Weston swung over a fine cross from the left and sub
Denton headed from barely two yards out.
“We were the better side and should have won, but you can’t switch off like we did for a split second and leave Denton with that space at the farpost,” suggested Searle, who questioned Scott Jackson’s decision to play five minutes of stoppage time.
“We played some really good football in the second half, and dominated, which is why it’s so disappointing.”