Spireites shine on league return
CHESTERFIELD eventually overcame a stubborn Barnet with a relentless attacking performance in the second period to record a comfortable victory.
A week on from their FA Cup trip to European champions Chelsea, it was back to business for James Rowe’s side.
The Spireites’ front pairing of Kabongo Tshimanga and Akwasi Asante impressed Barnet’s interim head coach Dean Brennan when he said: “In the end their front two were too hot to handle, that’s the honest truth. They were devastating.
“They are the best team we have played by an absolute mile, in my reign.”
Barnet were working hard as a collective to deny Chesterfield, the Bees holding their own in the early exchanges with winger Rob Hall always keen to deliver a centre or get a shot away.
But just after the half hour mark the game began to swing in the visitor’s favour, with Jeff King hitting an upright from a free kick and Tshimanga twice coming close to breaking the deadlock.
Barnet’s Sam Beard could have in the early moments of the second half when well placed at the far post but once substitute Alex Whittle had careered down the left flank in the 49th minute, his enticing centre being expertly steered home by Tshimanga, it was hard to envisage anything other than an away victory.
In the 58th minute Asante fired home when Barnet failed to effect a clearance from a corner and the Spireites could now move into cruise control.
In the 71st minute Tshimanga fired into the top corner after being set up by King and then in the 90th minute King’s powerful free kick from 35 yards took a deflection leaving the Barnet keeper Aston Oxborough flatfooted.
With almost the last kick of the match Ben Everton-Richards lashed home from close range with the Chesterfield defence for once caught napping for the epitome of a consolation goal.
Ex-Bee Scott Loach kept goal with quite assurance whilst veteran Curtis Weston controlled the pace of the game from central midfield.
Brennan was frank when he added: “The better team won, they showed the standard that it takes to be in the title race in this division.
“The first goal is always going to be key in this type of game. They defended well also, you have to give them a lot of credit and they have done a good job on us.”
Chesterfield’s assistant manager Danny Webb said: “It was an excellent performance, We didn’t come here and take it lightly, in the second half we got that goal, enabling us to take a breather and then you get the second and you can start to enjoy the afternoon!
“Credit to the lads who did their defensive jobs, they were marking lads maybe twice their size, they had listened to the instructions that the manager and myself give had given them to handle those moments.”