Draw a graph of Barnet and Chesterfield's pre-season build-ups and both would have a similar upward slant to it. Lee Richardson's side struggled for some of the earlier matches; in parts of the Matlock and Gainsborough games and the home defeat to Hull, but by the time Sheffield Wednesday were made to look a bit poor, Chesterfield's build-up had a progressive look to it. Paul Fairclough was able to declare a couple of weeks ago that he was broadly happy to have settled on his starting line-up for Saturday's game, despite defeats against Leeds United and an Arsenal XI; his faith was justified with a good-looking win over Watford at Underhill in their final friendly.

Former Spireite Rob Beckwith missed that game with a recurrence of the groin trouble that plagued him last season. If Beckwith, who hopes to be established as Barnet's first-choice keeper this term, cannot make our game, then the 36-year-old Lee Harrison is most likely to pull on the gloves in his place. Reigning Player of the Year Joe Devera was given 45 minutes against Watford to prove fitness but Danny Hart was not risked, despite declaring himself recovered from a thigh injury.

Barnet are, like us, a club that broadly lives within its means. Supporters of such clubs have the luxury of knowing that their clubs will exist one year or five years on, but the downside is that any success must be assembled with the patience of someone making a one-thousand piece jigsaw, without the lid. A summer of limited transfer activity saw forward Jason Puncheon move to Plymouth, but £250,000 came the Bees' way as compensation.

Like us, they picked through the bones of a defunct Gretna side, bringing Nicky Deverdics back to England, while Luke Medley made the move from Bradford to Underhill.Adam Birchall will be a danger, as usual, and with Fairclough's astute signings strengthening the rest of the side, they may well not miss Puncheon that badly. Expect them to be in with a decent shout of a play-off place.

Lee Richardson concedes that we have a small squad "at the moment" and doesn't expect too many surprises in our starting eleven. We will go into the game with Ben Algar as our only injury doubt. Rob Page has recovered from having some bloke land on him at Burton and is set to be one of a number of lads making their competitive debuts for the club. A line-up adjacent to this:

Lee

Picken   Page   Austin   Goodall

Lowry   Kerry   Harsley   Currie

Ward   Lester

Will see six debuts. Discount the 1946-7 season where, for obvious reasons, eight players made their first appearance, and you have to go back to 1929-30 to find as many. You'd expect the side to need time to gel, but with five debutants last term, we were second after six games! The 1929-30 side was bottom after three matches but grew accustomed to each other and climbed to finish fourth. Would you take a fourth-placed finish, now?

This season is one in which we are told everyone will "Respect the Ref," which stands a chance of lasting until September, given that Wayne Rooney is laid up with a virus. Barnet should be acknowledged as leading the pack in this; their policy of having only their skipper talking to referees has led to a dramatic fall in bookings at the club, to the point where suspended fines for poor discipline have been rescinded.

Before a ball has been kicked, some 64 points have been deducted from sides in our league for various misdemeanours; is it too reactionary to suggest that Barnet deserved to be given a few of those, for their fine effort in this respect?

SB

Full match commentary on Spireites World LIVE from Underhill with your usual Spireites team of Paul and Rich