Injuries not to blame for Chesterfield's defeat to Dover

Chesterfield manager John Sheridan has refused to blame injuries for his side’s defeat against Dover Atheltic on Saturday.
Chesterfield were beaten despite taking the lead against Dover.Chesterfield were beaten despite taking the lead against Dover.
Chesterfield were beaten despite taking the lead against Dover.

The Spireites were without five first-team regulars for their season opener against the Whites, with two players struck down with illness late on in the week.

Anthony Gerrard, Lawrence Maguire, Haydn Hollis, Anthony Spyrou and Tom Denton were absent from the squad at the weekend.

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Here's what our fans columnist made of the defeatDespite taking the lead in the 73rd minute, Chesterfield lost the game 2-1 at the Proact Stadium.

Sheridan, though frustrated by his sides’ poor injury luck, was quick to stress that injuries are part of football and shouldn’t be blamed for his team’s opening-day defeat.

The Spireites head to Maidenhead United tomorrow night, looking to get their first points of the season on the board.

Speaking to the press ahead of the game, Sheridan said: “I could talk about who wasn’t there and injuries. It did disrupt us but I felt the team I picked was still good enough to go out and get us a result.

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“It is frustrating but that’s football. I can’t dwell on it too much, the ones who aren’t fit, I have to concentrate on those that are fit and get the best out of them.

“You won’t hear me complaining about who I haven’t got and this, that and the other. We’ve just got to get on with it, it’s about having a squad over the season. Not everyone is going to be fit all of the time.”

Maidenhead beat well-fancied Stockport 2-0 on the opening day, a signal of intent that they’re desperate to improve on their 19th-place finish last term.

Sheridan wouldn’t be drawn on names but he did confirm that two or three of his injured players would be back in the squad for tomorrow night.

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“There’s a couple of them that will be back involved and available to play,” he confirmed.

“I won’t tell you who they are, but there are a couple coming back. I don’t like giving information to the opposition. Maidenhead had a good result and they haven’t named their team yet.

“There will be a couple back in the squad who are available so hopefully it will make us a bit stronger.”

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