OUR AIM IS TO BE HISTORY MAKERS
Spireites ace eyes place in folklore
JAMES BERRY says champions-elect Chesterfield don’t just want to win the National League title – they want to win big and write their names in club legend.
Berry scored the opener in Tuesday night’s 2-1 win at Dagenham & Redbridge that put Paul Cook’s side a staggering 22 points clear at the summit.
It means the scintillating Spireites are just seven wins from booking their return ticket to the EFL.
The midweek victory was also their seventh on the bounce and keeps them on pace to smash Wrexham’s record haul of 111 points, set just last season.
While it seems to be only a matter of time before they are mathematically certain, there are no premature celebrations taking place.
“We can’t take our foot off the gas – we want to win it convincingly,” Berry told The NLP. “We’ve got the opportunity here to be remembered for a long time.
“From the backroom staff to the players, I keep reiterating, it’s really special what we’ve got going on here. We want to keep winning, keep getting those three points and keep striving for the league.
“We’ve not won anything yet and we’ve not won the league. The job is not finished so, 100 per cent, we keep a lid on it because we want to keep getting three points, keep going, keep going and we’ll see where we are at the end of the year – hopefully we’re league champions but by a long shot.”
Berry is also hitting red-hot form of his own with Tuesday’s strike – slamming in a rebound after Dagenham keeper Elliot Justham had parried Ollie Banks’ swerving shot – the third game in a row he’s got on the scoresheet and his fourth goal in five games.
The 23-year-old joined Chesterfield in August from NPL Premier Macclesfield, who he’d helped to back-to-back promotions from the North West Counties League to Step 3.
And he’s showing exactly why Cook was so pleased to land the former Altrincham attacker, who made one appearance in the Championship for Hull City.
Adapting
Berry admits it took time to really get up to National League speed – but now he has he wants to keep contributing as they chase down top spot.
“I’ve had to be patient since coming in to Chesterfield,” Berry said. “It wasn’t handed to me on a plate. I had to get fitter.
“That was just games really. Coming from part-time football, you’ve got to get up to speed. And coming from part-time to full-time took a bit of adapting.
“Thankfully, now I have adapted. The gaffer has shown a lot of trust in me. I am just thankful he’s given me an opportunity and I’ve taken it.
“I keep saying, it’s so humbling. I’ve come from one successful team to another. It’s a ‘pinch me’ moment coming into this team and fitting in with all these special players that we’ve got at a special club. The fans, the staff – I am proud of myself and of everyone.
“Full-time football is something I wanted to get back into when I went to Macclesfield. I am so glad I am here now and playing with these players.
“I want to score as many as I can and assist as many as I can. Thankfully I am doing that.”