Match Preview | Chesterfield

Salop look to make it six games unbeaten in Shropshire and get the festive season off to a flying start when they welcome Paul Cook’s Chesterfield to the Croud Meadow this afternoon. 

Here’s everything you need to know about our visitors ahead of the match.  

Key Players 

Lee Bonis, signed from ADO Den Haag, has made his presence felt over the last two months, scoring seven in his last nine games since the start of September. The Northern Ireland international bagged a brace in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Barnet and is going to be a major threat for the Spireites today.  

Paul Cook’s squad has plenty of quality and experience. The Spireites captain, Chey Dunkley, is a man who needs no introduction to Salop fans. The 33-year-old joined Chesterfield last summer after two impressive seasons in blue and amber.  

Elsewhere, Spireites veteran Liam Mandeville, alongside former Crawley man Ronan Darcy, adds some creative flair in the middle of the park, while experienced frontman Will Grigg brings some firepower to the bench.  

The Manager 

Manager Paul Cook is in his second spell at Chesterfield. The 58-year-old guided the club to the League Two title back in the 2013/14 season before leaving to go to Portsmouth. After stints at Wigan and Ipswich, he returned to Chesterfield in 2022, guiding the team to the National League title in 2023/24 and returning to the Football League after a six-year run in non-league.  

Form  

Despite pre-season billing as one of the favourites for the league, the Spireites have struggled to find consistent form in the first half of the season. They come into today's game with two wins in their last six league matches.  

They are currently seventh in the league on 32 points, five points behind the automatic spots, with crunch fixtures against Notts County and MK Dons over the next month.  

Head-to-Head Record  

Since our first competitive clash with Chesterfield in 1952, we have faced each other 48 times. The Spireites have the better of us over the years, winning 20 games to our 12, with 16 ending in a draw.