By Albatross
March 2 2004

Hartlepool United entertain Chesterfield at the Vic - but will they entertain the crowd as well? Some fans may think that tonight allows us to settle some unfinished business from three seasons back with the Crooked Spireites - but it's a much different club from the days of Luke Beckett et al. With a decaying ground and more than a few financial difficulties, almost all consequences of the Brown Era at Saltergate have been bad; about the only thing they still hold onto from then is Division 2 status, and even then the last season or two has only seen them hold onto that by the skin of their teeth. Having spent most of this season in the bottom four, it's been tough times for the club.

While not quite out of the woods yet, Chesterfield's recent form has been good enough to lift them out of the relegation slots into 19th place - not bad for a team that was bottom at Christmas. Six wins in ten games has allowed them to climb the table a little, and after failing to win an away game until December 28th, they have now recorded two victories on their travels - against Barnsley and Peterborough.

Despite this, their away record remains almost the worst in the division. 16 games have yielded just six points and seven goals - three in a draw at Wycombe early in the season - and they have conceded three or more away no less than five times - including a 7-0 hammering at the hands of Plymouth. While a victory at home against QPR is not to be sneezed at, their last game was a 2-0 defeat at Swindon.

Leading scorer for Chesterfield so far this season is Marvin Robinson with seven (6 league); he though is out of form at the moment, having gone seven games without a goal. Matching his tally of league goals is Glynn Hurst, all of them since December 13th indicating he's the man in form. Jamie Cade - who scored against Pools in our 2-1 win earlier in the season - has moved on to Colchester from Middlesbrough; in fact, that was his last game for the Spireites. The veteran David Reeves may start the game, but the 36 year old has netted just once this season - a penalty.

Chesterfield's Leeds loanee Jamie McMaster is out with an ankle problem, but Roy McFarland does have Kevin Dawson back from suspension and Steve Payne from Flu to choose from. Sometime Pools trialist Matt O'Halloran - who has already played against us twice with Oldham - is part of the Chesterfield squad, but has made just one sub appearance since signing in December and hasn't even made the bench recently.

Pools will have a massive boost tonight themselves with a couple of key players returning. Nelson will almost certainly replace Scott Walker at the back following his suspension; and in midfield Gavin Strachan is set to regain his place at the expense of Darrell Clarke after recovering more quickly than expected from his knee injury. Paul Robinson remains on the sidelines though, meaning that it should be a partnership of Williams and Porter up front again. Cooper decided against having a recognised forward on the bench on Saturday, and he could decide to include one of the youth teamers - alternatively he may decide to have Carson on the bench and ask Humphreys to go up front should it prove necessary. Having lost both strikers through injury in our last home game, I'd hope that we have at least one forward in reserve; however, we are a little thin on options there and he may decide that tonight isn't the time for the likes of Appleby, Wilkinson or Foley to be plunged into action.

On paper there should only be one result tonight; Chesterfield's atrocious away form, added to the fact that Pools are welcoming back a couple of this season's key performers should be enough to see us win comfortably. The scariest moments should really be when Strachan and Robertson have to work out who is going to take a free kick! However, Chesterfield have shocked Barnsley, and know that every point is precious. I expect them to look to defend and hit Pools on the break, and given that we've sometimes struggled to break teams down at the Vic I don't think it will be a thrashing for the Spireites. I do think we will win though, with Williams and a late free kick from Robertson being enough to take us to a 2-0 win.