GULLS PILE ON MISERY FOR POOR SPIREITES
TORQUAY United manager Gary Johnson hailed the professionalism of his players as they dealt another play-off blow to stuttering Chesterfield in the lunchtime kick-off at Plainmoor.
A Stephen Duke-McKenna strike and Armani Little’s 15th goal of the season from the penalty spot sealed the points for the Gulls and ensured Chesterfield’s playoff hope lay in the balance until the final game of the season.
Spireites boss Paul Cook refused to speak to
media afterwards but opposite number Johnson felt the result helped to showcase his club in a positive light.
“We wanted to make sure that we kept our professional and our personal pride – that’s always important to me,” he said.
“I’ve drummed it into the lads that their professional pride and personal pride is vital for their football careers, because you’ve got to have that competitive spirit with whatever you are doing. Then it becomes a habit and you give yourself the best chance to be the player that you want to be.
“Today you could see the effort that the lads was put in was unbelievable to beat a side that are in the play-off places. It showcased our club and everybody showed that we are one club, both on and off the field.”
The Gulls enjoyed an early spell of pressure which saw Duke-McKenna test Spireites keeper Scott Loach with an angled shot inside the opening minute.
United then continued to threaten as skipper Asa Hall and veteran front man Danny Wright both forced saves from Loach.
The Gulls’ defence was called into action on 21 minutes, as Chesterfield’s Liam Manthe
deville was denied by a late saving tackle from Ali Omar.
Hall went close again for United on 26 minutes when he connected with a corner from Little, only to be denied by the reflexes of Loach.
Seven minutes before halftime, Wright blasted over for the Gulls after the Spireites failed to clear a free-kick from Little.
In the second half, Chesterfield came out with a renewed sense of purpose as Jamie Grimes nodded a Jeff King corner wide in the 48th minute.
However, United regrouped as a Duke McKenna cross found Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, who headed over on 53 minutes.
Ben Wynter fired a 30-yard effort just wide but United finally made their dominance count on 70 minutes when Duke-McKenna cut onto his left foot to drill home, after being teed up by Wright.
Six minutes later, Joe Lewis had an angled effort deflected behind as the hosts continued to dominate.
The closest that the Spireites came to finding an equaliser came when sub Danny Rowe hit the upright with a free-kick from 35 yards.
And with nine minutes remaining, the Gulls doubled their lead from the penalty spot through Little after he was upended in the box – as United ended a four-match winless run.