March 2012

What Chesterfield’s 2-0 win over Swindon Town lacked in clear quality, it more than made up for in compelling drama and intrigue.

A Craig Westcarr breakaway goal provided the game with its most glossy finish of all, deep into injury time, to send the Spireites fans into raptures.

The substitute’s goal – set-up by fellow sub Mark Randall – was virtually the last kick of the game, after Chesterfield scored with one of the first kicks of the second half through an Oliver Risser own goal.

All the talk before the game was about Swindon’s larger than life manager Di Canio, but it was the Italian’s quietly spoken counterpart John Sheridan who had the last word on this year’s final.

The result was no more than the Spireites deserved either, after looking at such ease throughout the game and even having a Jack Lester goal chalked off for offside in the first half.

Had it not been for Westcarr’s miss from a similar position after 73 minutes, the game could have been over sooner, while Swindon rarely threatened Tommy Lee’s goal.

Fifteen years after the North Derbyshire men were so close to a Wembley memory to treasure, they finally have one of their own to savour, courtesy of the 2011/12 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, to the delight of everyone associated with the famous North Derbyshire side.