With just three games of the season to go, plenty of issues are being decided already and the Cobblers can once and for all guarantee safety with a win over Chesterfield at Sixfields.
Defeat for the Speirites coupled with wins for Orient and Cheltenham would send them into League Two so we’ll be in for a real battle in the final Saturday home game of the season.
Sean Dyche is likely be coming up against his old club thanks to injuries to fellow defenders Jason Crowe and Chris Doig and it’ll be tough for him to possibly play a part in relegating the club where he spent 7 years as a player. Dyche starred in Chesterfield’s run to the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997 and is well thought of at Saltergate.
Alongside Crowe and Doig’s injuries, Brett Johnson has been ruled out for the season, leaving us a bit short at the back. Stuart Gray could be forced to reshuffle the pack and put Alex Pearce or Mark Hughes to right back before bringing in Dyche. Another option may be to bring Skippy back in after his recent recovery from injury.
Despite starting the season with thumping wins over Bournemouth and Millwall along with a Carling Cup win over Wolves, our visitors slumped into the relegation dog fight in a bleak winter period culminating in a dreadful March where they fell to 5 defeats in 6 games during the month. Victory against Crewe and a draw at fellow strugglers Cheltenham followed but last weekend’s defeat to Gillingham keeps then in 22nd position going into the game.
Team news for Chesterfield indicates that defender Seb Grimaldi is out for up to eight months with a knee injury that requires surgery while Mark Allott is yet to return after a hamstring injury. Goalkeeper Barry Roche is a major doubt so teenager Michael Jordan will be on standby to deputise.
Current Form (Last Six)
Cobblers: LWWLLW
Chesterfield: LDWLDL
Previous Meetings
06/12/06: Chesterfield 0-0 Cobblers
26/12/02: Cobblers 0-1 Chesterfield
27/08/02: Chesterfield 4-0 Cobblers
23/02/02: Chesterfield 2-2 Cobblers
15/09/01: Cobblers 0-2 Chesterfield
03/05/99: Chesterfield 0-0 Cobblers
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