Liddle: Derby defeat to Sheffield United a '˜complete disappointment'

The Chesterfield skipper, who was booked early on for a block and perhaps lucky to stay on the field after a similar challenge a minute later, was as downbeat as he was honest in his post match interview.

Conceding that there were no positives to take from the game, he said: “It’s disappointing, especially on a derby day with the atmosphere that was created, the magnitude of the game.

“We were so off it today, just wasn’t the Chesterfield we’ve come to know recently.

“Just a complete disappointment, we weren’t at the races at all, individually or collectively, I can’t think of a single positive.”

Addressing his own performance, Liddle acknowledged that his yellow card on 13 minutes hampered him for the remainder.

“I was poor today, I’ll be the first to admit that,” he said.

“The booking probably did hinder my game. I like to get around the pitch and intercept and make tackles, but I was walking on a knife edge with that early booking.

“It was difficult to get into the game today, I won’t be the only one disappointed with my performance, there’s a lot of dejected lads in there.”

Like his boss, Liddle was keen to refocus ahead of a huge clash with Doncaster Rovers at the Proact on Tuesday.

“We have to put it behind us as quick as possible with what’s coming up on Tuesday.

“It was always going to be a big game, a six pointer with where we both are in the table.

“It’s important we get today’s game out of our minds and prepare for that one.

“We’ve had a good chat in the dressing room, the lads and staff are gutted but it needs to be put to bed.

“All the focus has got to be on Tuesday and hopefully we can come out on the other side of what happened today.”

The captain, who has survived relegation battles in this division with two previous clubs, knows the Spireites could be in for a rough ride before the end of the season.

“With so few games left in the season it’s going to be a nail biter for everyone, it’ll be touch and go and will go down to the wire,” he said.

“(But) what we’ve done well, we’ve come back from defeats with a good performance and nicked a point or stole three points in the game after.

“That puts us in good stead with that record, it’s important we do that again.

“They won’t come and give us three points, we’ll have to work harder than we did today and create more chances than we did today.”