Spireites impatiently waiting for outcome of Liddle appeal, but overcoming adversity has lifted mood

The midfielder was sent off – wrongly according to boss Danny Wilson – after just 17 minutes of Tuesday’s trip to Colchester.

And the Spireites manager is confident they will avoid further punishment in the form of a suspension.

“We’re just waiting. It’s pending,” he said.

“I don’t know if the committee have sat yet, but I expect a positive return.

“Given the conversations I’ve had with people who have seen the incident and are highly connected, I think it was a mistake made by the referee and we all make them.

“On the day we got away with a point, it could have been three with 11 on the park. I don’t think we deserve any further punishment, because it was a wrong decision. I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t fall in our favour.”

The delay in the verdict is now hampering Wilson’s preparations for another big game, the visit of fellow strugglers Crewe on Saturday.

He said: “It doesn’t help whatsoever, we’re still waiting with a verdict on who’s going to be available for us at the weekend, and if Gary is not available we have to reshuffle again which is not ideal.

“I hope by the end of the day we’ll know.”

And with so much at stake in the final games of the season, it worries the managerial veteran that referees are, in his view, getting major decisions wrong.

“It’s a concern,” he said.

“These are big decisions they’re there to make, right ones. They’ve got to be 100 per cent right.

“We had the one the other week when Tommy was fouled. But we lost a goal because of that. We can’t rectify that at all.

“On Tuesday night we could have had three points, we can’t do anything about that. An extra three games would be a double blow.”

The decision may still rankle, but Chesterfield’s ability to overcome the numerical disadvantage and grab a point at Colchester has shown them how well they can defend under pressure, and boosted morale at the Proact.

Wilson said: “We had to be resilient. The way the lads defended from front to back was excellent, so that was a terrific lesson for us. If we can do that with 11 men, there’s a great chance we’ll win games.

“The mood was had been great. It’s moments in adversity that make you stronger and draw you together.

“Even coming back on the coach from Colchester you could feel there was an uplifting in the mood, and that’s a great thing.

“It doesn’t count for anything on Saturday, but it does give us confidence to go into the game.”

A further shot in the arm came in the form of two new faces, and a returnee to the training ground.

He said: “A couple of additions to the squad always gives everyone a lift and a spark and I’m sure Declan Jones and Jordan Slew gave us that this week.

“We’ve had Dan Jones back training, although it’s not competitive he’s been on the training ground which has given everyone a lift.

“On Saturday three points would be the biggest lift we could get.”