Remarkably, the month threw up 7 league fixtures and a Carling Cup round 2 tie, so we had 2 games a week-bliss if you like the working week split up with some midweek entertainment. It was a month where we went from the dismally bad yet also scaled the heights with the cup win over ManchesterCity.
We started with the short trip to the City Ground and got hammered 4-0 against an in-form Forest side who rode their luck and got every break going. We had more possession and dominated for long spells yet failed miserably. Still, you'll not win games if you miss chances and then go to sleep at the back. That's a lesson that we continue to avoid taking on board.
We followed that up with a fairly routine win against Rotherham with an early goal from Caleb, though Hoskins soon equalised with an opportunistic strike after some ponderous defending. Shaw wrapped it up before the break with a well-taken effort after springing the offside trap. Millers' keeper Cutler was lucky not to be dismissed after the resumption for handling outside the area and denying us a goalscoring chance whilst Williamson made a superb clearance from under the bar to deny Folan in a lively second period that remained goalless.
Caleb on the mark against the Millers
We followed that up with 2 away trips to Blackpool and BristolCity, performing fairly badly in both and picking up just a point, in comparison to the 6 we achieved in the same fixtures last term. Hurst's fine strike won us a point at the seaside and Larkin netted at Ashton Gate in a game best forgotten by Spireites. To cap it all, O'Hare got injured at Blackpool and his replacement, Nicholson, was injured in the warm up at Bristol leaving Picken to do the business at left back (as us older types still insist on calling the position).
Hursty leveled things at Blackpool
Given those 2 displays, the Carling tie at home to ManchesterCity looked a daunting prospect, having never beaten them and its being a cup match. City took the game seriously and fielded their strongest possible side, which showed that Stuart Pearce was not taking us lightly. We played splendidly, however, and were very unfortunate to be behind at the break after Samaras netted when Corradi's header came back off a post on 40 minutes.
Caleb got the equaliser against City
Nivo found his shooting boots 2-1 Spireites and its bye bye City
Folan equalised with another headed goal from Picken's free kick early in the second half and Niven hammered a second after Picken's cross was only partly cleared from the City box. It was a stunning strike that gave Weaver no chance, but with 20 minutes left appeared too early. City upped their game after this and we defended stoutly, though admittedly a little dangerously in the last 10 minutes to hold on for the victory. It gave us some deserved publicity and won the LMA performance of the week award, having put us into the third round for the first time since 1979. The subsequent draw with West Ham at Saltergate was a worthy reward for our efforts.
Raging Bull on his way to make 1-0 against the Bees
Saturday's Brentford encounter was always likely to be a case of "after the lord mayor's show" to use a Derbyshire Times phrase from the 60's and 70's, but again we were surprised as the team came out with a high temp performance and won 3-1 with surprising ease. All the goals came in the first half again with Folan scoring twice, either side of Shaw's poacher's effort. The only disappointment was the Londoners' goal, again just before half time which took a little bit of gloss off the victory. The second half was a little scrappy, but when you're 3-1 up, that matters very little.
Scunthorpe brought us down to earth with a bump and a 1-0 defeat in midweek. This was a lethargic display against a well-organised and hard-working Iron outfit who had some genuine pace in attack. Sharp netted the rather scrappy winner on 13 minutes after Roche failed to hold a snap shot from Keogh and Bailey reacted slowly to the rebound. We never really looked like equalising and the only really good chance fell to Larkin, but it was no surprise when his tame effort was straight at Murphy-it was that sort of night. So, again, we'd failed to win 2 league games on the trot.
The eighth and final fixture was a rare trip to Brighton on a Saturday-the first for 30 years, if my memory serves me correctly. The Seagulls have this amazing scheme of charging £3 on every ticket to pay for a park-and-ride arrangement that few of us ever use. It's also poor value for money as we should have been issued with binoculars at the gate-the new away end is so far from the action. Not only that-no pies or Bovril-what is the footballing world coming to? Anyway, not to worry, we won against a very poor Brighton outfit, though we made harder work of it that we should have. Once more, Caleb scored a gem, latching onto the Chief's flick from Roche's punt to score with aplomb past a Brighton keeper hideously wearing silver shirt and gold shorts.
After a bright first half Nivo snatches the Spireites the points at the Withdean
Whilst Albion had a lot of the ball, they did little with it until 54 minutes when debutant Williams looped a lazy-looking header over Roche after Downes had inexplicably failed to jump. It was actually surprising, as the home side had not looked capable of putting the ball in the net. Our victory was sealed on 74 minutes after Folan and Niven exchanged passes and the Scot side-footed a fine shot just inside the post from the edge of the box. Roche kept the lead intact with a lovely late save, but just when it looked like a blemish-free day, Folan got himself dismissed for brainlessness with only 10 seconds of the game left.
So, it was a strange month on the pitch with a mixed bag of results and a couple of suspensions (with Picken's constant tally of bookings adding to Caleb's red card). Despite the drama, we got into trouble for the good-natured pitch invasion at the end of the City game and a child throwing a plastic bottle at the Brentford keeper. Sky decided to televise the West Ham match, giving us a cash injection and we got a bye in the Northern section of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy-so starting another cup run. Mr Mac's never had it so good in his time in North Derbyshire! He even had the lads celebrate the City win by learning to cook at a cookery school at Sheepbridge. Interestingly, the Irish lads won all the prizes at cooking-it's probably down to their mothers bringing them up strictly and teaching them the basics, if Irish mothers are really that they're reputed to be. The Hungarian midfielder, Kiss slipped away almost unnoticed in the night and not much else appeared on the Taylor radar. Oh, I almost forgot-we didn't lose in 2 games in all maroon whilst we were stuffed in both games in sky blue-that has to be significant!
John's Spireite of the month in typical action
The man of September was between 2 chaps: Folan and Niven, despite some fine stuff by Hazell. Folan almost got my nod, but his sending-off at Brighton was a big minus, so rampaging Scot, Derek Niven, is it for his tireless work and 2 magnificent winning goals in the month. Keep it going in October Del Boy!
