THE MONEY AS STRIKE IT RICH
CHESTERFIELD drew level on points with Woking in the race for third spot after exacting revenge for their home loss to the Cards just 39 days ago at The Proact Stadium.
Ollie Banks’ 37th-minute penalty proved the difference between the two sides to earn the in-form Spireites a fourth win from their last five games.
“I thought we were beaten today by a better team,” conceded Woking boss Darren Sarll after this intriguing televised lunchtime kick-off.
“They were better than us at the things that we have become very good at, and that makes it even tougher to take.
“I thought we played with a little bit of a fragility about us. We are going to have to get used to tight games over the remaining eight games that we’ve got left.”
Both of these promotion chasers went at each other hammer and tongs with chances to break the deadlock falling to both inside the opening two minutes.
Dan Moss’s wicked cross was deflected away for a corner for Woking, while, from the resulting set-piece, the visitors broke away quickly with Andrew Dallas playing the ball across to Ryan Colclough at the back post but the former Altrincham winger could only toe-poke across the face of goal.
The Spireities were proving to be a handful on the counter attack with the dangerous Dallas demonstrating a superb turn of pace, once again driving forward before firing over.
The deadlock was eventually broken on 37 minute when Jim Kellermann’s high boot caught Laurence Maguire when contesting a corner and up stepped Banks to smash the spot-kick down the middle.
Banks was a whisker away from doubling Chesterfield’s lead on the cusp of half-time with a volley that flew just wide of the post.
Woking, however, finished the half strongly with a series of corners leading to Rohan Ince’s header having to be cleared off the line.
With the rain lashing down at the start of the second period, it was a Woking counter attack that almost got them back into the game. Kellermann and Ricky Korboa combined to square the ball to Ince, who couldn’t guide his effort towards goal.
The visitors came close to doubling their advantage when Joe Quigley hit the post, only for the offside flag to be raised.
Indeed, it was Chesterfield who looked the more likely and they went close again on 64 minutes when Colclough’s goal bound shot was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Will Jaaskelainen.
Dallas looked on course to make the game safe for the Spireites when through on goal with only Jaaskelainen to beat. He slotted the ball past the Woking stopper but also wide of the mark.
Woking pushed forward late on in search of a lifeline but despite winning a freekick in a dangerous position in the dying seconds, they couldn’t make it count as Paul Cook’s men held on.