It was a "must win" game at Saltergate yesterday, the Spireites who hadn't won in four matches also need to break a two match losing streak at home. Roy Mac rang the changes with five players coming back due to injuries and enforced moves. Port Vale meanwhile had to make an quick change as Colin Miles picked up an injury in the pre-match warm up so Clayton Fortune stepped into the breach clearly not fit himself.
The Spireites started positively and they were unlucky not to get an opening goal through Peter Holmes who drove the ball which young Vale keeper Joe Anyon tried to smother and it squeezed through and over the line to which from our angle (centre stand) it was a goal. Difficult it was for the referee and linesman to see to game played on, but not for long as a drive from Phil Picken had equal results i.e a spill from Anyon this time the keeper couldn't get back to it and it was in.
The Spireites went into the half time break with confidence and whilst at 1-0 it was a worrying lead, we were never really in doubt and that was capped off with a rip-snorter of a shot from Jamie Ward after a lovely through ball from Niven and it was 2-0 and game over for the Valiants.
Vale made a couple of substitutions but the hearts were down and the up tempo of the Spireites was beginning to wear them down as a couple of players picked up knocks. The game was finished off by Wayne Allison who beat Rhys Weston and fired past Anyon at a close angle for his fifth of the season.
Worryingly Jamie Ward limped off with a hamstring injury which has been confirmed as a six week layoff. It would be likely that Colin Larkin will now be given the chance to re-start his Spireite career and hopefully add to his six goals this season.
In Summary as important as this win was we all know that two defeats at Carlisle and at home to Forest at the weekend will see up slip slowly back to where we came from and all hands to the pump again. The Ward injury has knocked us and soured a good day, fingers crossed we shall be saying Jamie who? (in a nice way of course) by winning both games this week.
Seb Grimaldi had a good game and along with Aaron Downes it was a good partnership what we don't need now is Roy Mac to disrupt a winning side and start playing 4-5-1 after WINNING a match with the supporters favourite 4-4-2.
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