IT’S A BEST END A WEEK WESTON TO OF CHAOS!
ATURBULENT week ended on a high for Chesterfield as Curtis Weston’s last-minute wonder strike maintained their title hopes.
The Spireites’ season could have easily imploded with a defeat at mangerless Eastleigh following the suspension of boss James Rowe pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct.
Chesterfield’s problems are by no means solved yet, although this victory felt as important as any to keep them firmly in the promotion hunt.
Weston struck a wonderful volley – his first goal since February
2020 – to snatch the points late in a game that looked destined to finish level.
Good teams find a way to win and Chesterfield first-team coach Danny Webb, who is in temporary charge until further notice, admitted he didn’t see it coming.
“I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have taken a 0-0 with five minutes to go,” he said. “That is an extra cherry on the top and I couldn’t have wished for a better person or professional to score it.
“The boys showed real character and played for the badge, like I wanted them to do. I think the supporters would have appreciated that effort and determination even if it was 0-0.
“There’s a couple of teams, without naming names, going through the gears and steamrolling teams. I had a whisper of the results before the game, I didn’t tell the boys, but everyone was looking thinking ‘what’s happening at Chesterfield, they’re not going to turn up today’, but they couldn’t have been more wrong.”
Eastleigh’s week had been far from ideal too with manager Ben Strevens departing by mutual consent after becoming the first side to lose to rock-bottom Dover Athletic on Tuesday.
Assistant Jason Bristow has taken over on an interim basis and didn’t deserve to see his side lose.
“Gutted, absolutely gutted,” he said. “We asked for the players to give us 100 per cent and that’s exactly what they’ve done.
“Did we create enough changes to win it? Possibly not but it was about staying in the game and making sure we were hard to beat – it’s taken an absolute worldie to.
“It’s been really tough coming in on Thursday after the news on Wednesday. The players were really down, it was a case of trying to lift them, trying to give them something to look towards. They’ve put in a performance they can be proud of.”
Eastleigh had the better of the first half with Scott Loach making two good saves. The first came from Josh Hare’s flick at the near post and then he tipped a fierce shot from Vincent Harper round a post.
Chesterfield only had Laurence Maguire’s volley from a corner to show for their efforts, with the hosts also seeing Tyrone Barnett head over.
Even before Rowe’s suspension, Chesterfield had lost at struggling Maidenhead and then drawn at home to lowly Aldershot. They still looked out of sorts at the Silverlake although tightened up defensively in the second half.
Neither side looked like winning until Weston produced a moment of magic. Liam Mandeville’s free-kick was headed away to the edge of the area by substitute Dan Smith, but the 35-year-old midfielder volleyed the ball first time into the top corner to provide some joy after a week of chaos.
Curtis Weston (Chesterfield) 3,076
★★★★★