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Cooked
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Emotions more tangled than that weird spire
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06/09/2026
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This article has been viewed 214 times.
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by Max Bygraves
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I’d never properly realised how close to Sheffield that Chesterfield is. They’re a northern team but being in Derbyshire, I’d always thought of them more in the Notts bracket than almost Yorkshire. Anyway, not one to miss an opportunity, after sharpening up on my longitude and latitude, I suggested to my wife last Sunday we pay her sister a visit at her Sheffield abode. The fact it happened to fall on a day Barnet were playing at Chesterfield a pleasant coincidence, of course. In fact, all credit for the idea really goes to my son for putting it in my head by asking if we could go; I can’t say Chesterfield away jumped off the fixture page.
In fact, this is one of those places I’ve definitely proclaimed I’d never return to. Just shy of three years ago, 664 of us made this trip for a top of the table clash in the National League. A great day until about 4pm when a second half capitulation (a stoppage time fight back excepted) ended in a 4-2 loss. Chesterfield won the title in March and the ‘race’ for it was done that day in mid November. On the long walk back to the station down an alleyway that runs parallel to the busy A61 in the cold and dark, I definitely decided my fourth visit to Chesterfield was my last. Yet here we are. A similar conversation was had with a friend in the ground when the game was on a knife edge where he said let’s capitalise the NEVER. Before we pointed out we could get them in the play offs, or a crucial clash at either end, last of the season, a Saturday… it’s best to say nothing.
Before we get back to the present, it would simply be against the rules not to mention that Chesterfield away is still the scene of the most fun away day of all time. Packed with stupidity and behaviour that simply would not be ok in this day and age for adults, just the two words ‘Chesterfield away,’ can’t help but produce a little smirk at the thought of our visit there 19 years ago in September 2007. Just over half a lifetime ago now, so everything very much in a different context, but what can be remembered from quite a hazy day is simply unforgettable. At Saltergate too, a proper football venue amongst the houses with extremely primitive facilities. It was beautiful. I’ve said it all before so you know my thoughts on an experience visiting somewhere like that compared to whatever their soulless new stadium is currently named as. Jason Norville’s fluky header to sneak a 0-1 victory leaving the natives extremely restless. No idea how we got out of there in one piece although the lift in the police van to the station definitely helped. A trip that literally had everything.
Bit of a different vibe as we set off as a family of 4 early on a sunny Saturday morning. A mostly smooth journey up the M1 had us in the Nether Edge area of Sheffield (having had to go past the ground for the first of 3 times in the day en route) just before midday. I’ll be totally transparent, we had a delicious largely salad-based lunch followed by a slice of home made cake and Yorkshire cup of tea. Does that class as woke nonsense? 2007 and 2026 away days look quite different. I did ponder this as my son and I set off for the ground just before 2pm.
It really did only take 20 minutes from Sheffield and after easily parking in the cheap pre-booked spot in the Premier Inn car park (£2.60!), it was a ten minute trot to the away turnstile. We were greeted by some very friendly stewards and upon entry to the ground, Barnet’s photographer took a snap of my son, showed him the picture on his fancy camera and high fived him. People being nice is just great.
A decent number of us packed into that far flung corner. A poor view of anything the wrong side of the half way line. Luckily, in the first half most of the action was to be in front of us as we started with real intent. We were playing some lovely football but the most used word from the away end for much of the first forty five was undoubtedly: “REF!”
Following this week’s controversy caused by Mike ‘the ego’ Dean’s comments on the games he used to play whilst refereeing, questions had to be asked on this official’s hesitancy in blowing his whistle. The first half an hour of the game entailed two very reasonable penalty shouts overlooked, poor fouls on Ofoborh and Kanu, no yellow for an atrocious tackle on Lakin and a yellow card for Brennan airing his and everyone’s frustrations.
It was perhaps just getting to the point of a bit of worry at how this sort of script plays out when a moment of magic happened. Tom Knowles got the ball out on the right from a short corner and thought, ‘go on then.’ A fantastic mazy dribble before a curling effort into the top corner. What a goal. Cue chaos in the corner. My son does enjoy a goal celebration but I think he was a little unsure if us racing down the steps to the front with him in my arms was the best choice. It was fine. The players kept their distance from the barrier and just lots of collective fist pumping back and forth. No less than we deserved. Strike.
Something less enjoyable after this fine moment was a chorus of “stung by the bees,” from some of our away contingent. Presumably this was born out of Hull City’s monstrosity, “mauled by the tigers,” getting quite a bit of national coverage following their recent win against Manchester United. I have a mate of almost 20 years who is a Hull fan, since I’ve known him he has bemoaned this horrible, cringeworthy chant. It’s nothing new - but it’s their thing. Let’s have a little bit of self-respect shall we? Save stung by the bees for those hilarious memes every club seems to post via Twitter in the comments when one teams beats another. Football is all quite odd these days. Bring back the East Terrace and some proper humour, wit and clever chants.
I’ve clambered down from my soapbox there to return to proceedings. Five minutes after Knowles’ goal, we should have been two to the good and perhaps on our way to being out of sight. Lakin was presented with an incredible opportunity when he was allowed in one on one. It almost felt like he hadn’t expected it and couldn’t get his body right in time as he meekly poked the ball into the home keeper’s arms.
And of course, we were made to rue this. On 39 minutes, Louie Marsh scored an outrageous half volley from outside the box. No complaints. No one to blame. Just a bloody good goal. But this didn’t make it any less frustrating, given our dominance. It has to be said, Chesterfield really did not look like a Paul Cook Chesterfield side. Their poor start easily explainable on much of the evidence seen to this point.
Right on the stroke of half time, some real hope this might have a different end to the way it felt the pendulum could swing from here. A lovely whipped in ball was met with a fantastic flicked header from Zac Williams. The Bees’ number 6 guided it perfectly into the far corner to send us in ahead at half time. More jubilation in the corner - although we stayed in our spot this time. A goal to cap an all round decent performance from a more settled looking Williams compared to early impressions.
There was every reason to be confident at the break and going into the second half. A shout out here to the kindly Bees fan who had been baking and brought along some very tasty biscuits for the away end. These were enjoyed by my son and helped get that focus back for the second half - cheers!
Fair to say that for a period things became a little tepid. Not really an issue whilst in the lead but the ferocious pace much of the first half was played at was always unlikely to be sustained throughout. We looked broadly in control until about the midway point in the half, before the inevitable home onslaught began.
It would be easy to say no Tavares is the reason why things didn’t look perhaps as assured as they should. Given we are yet to keep any clean sheets, I don’t think you can go all the way to putting inadequacies on the absence of one player, key as he is. Whatever the reason, we looked a little panicky and nervous as we came under pressure. Cox has looked a solid addition in goal since his arrival but there are certainly some erratic parts to his game that could (and maybe later did) prove costly at times. This of course is the exercise of a loan spell like his, to iron these out and develop.
There’s no other way to describe their equaliser on 71 minutes other than disappointing. Too much space and time given out wide. Too much space and time given to get a shot away in the box. Fastest reaction to the rebound is always going to be a bit of a 50-50. From our view at the side, there appeared to be a very good shout for Marsh being offside given his starting position. I can’t claim I watched his movement from when the ball was kicked so ultimately, it’s nothing more than a hopeful question and in reality, a question that means absolutely nothing given the linesman wasn’t remotely interested. There was some appeal from one or two of our players, but no mass outcry.
It felt very much like we knew the ending to this one. Character and resolve very much needed. Some substitutions made to help this, including the introduction of the dogged Jack Maskell. What a horrible bully for defenders. Cult hero status pretty much already wrapped up.
As the clocked ticked into the final five, my son assured me that Barnet were going to win 2-3 and Tshimanga would get the winner. I’ll let you imagine the kind of merry dance our little section of that away end did when it appeared his prophecy was being fulfilled. What a moments. A great flick on by Maskell and former Spireite Tshimanga, who once scored a hat trick against us at this venue, poked home to surely win us the game. I have to say, I didn’t see that one coming but utterly revelled in it. The fact our number 20 refused to celebrate despite the excitement no doubt the reason he got a huge ovation from the home fans when he was subbed moments later.
We just had to see this out now. Nothing silly.
I’ve honestly just re-received that horrible punch in the stomach sick feeling by taking myself back to this moment. A long ball over the top. The usually reliable and composed Senior making an absolute hash of picking up his man. The clearly decent but as stated, slightly erratic Cox judging it all wrong. A ball across the box and an easy header into the empty net in the third of four added minutes. I have seen this story before but no, it does not get any easier. Absolutely galling.
Unbelievably, despite there almost being a hold up due an unexplained delay getting the ball back in play (I’ll leave it at that, mate) and there nearly being no time left at all - both times had one more chance. We managed to get a ball into the box and an effort at the keeper, but it wasn’t serious.
Pretty much the final action was a frantic break from the home side, where everything happened very quickly but the main take away that was that Matthew Cox very much made amends for the third goal with an outstanding save to ensure three points didn’t become zero. A draw not feeling like quite the disaster it had.
Actually, I write that now, but on the trudge back to the car, I was finding it hard not to feel like we’d lost. We’d had a superb afternoon of entertainment with a couple of very enjoyable moments but you can’t help feel it should have been all three points. Have to say, the home fans were a friendlier bunch than I was anticipating, even being wished a safe journey by one chap who didn’t look the most friendly as we got closer. Books and covers and all that.
Post match, we were back in the wrong direction to Sheffield. A pub dinner at a venue with a big outdoor bit where my kids played football with a load of kids who’d been to see their Sheffield United side lose 1-3 to Norwich. It did look like we’d got a bit lost in there in our Barnet shirts. A nice way to end the day, but it did mean not getting back to North London until gone 11pm, carrying two fast asleep young ones straight up to their beds.
Two home games follow now. After a week of draws, we found ourselves 3rd with our unbeaten run still stretching back to March. A last minute equaliser hurts but with perspective, things are pretty good at the moment, aren’t they? If we could go back to back at home and then get a decent result at Crawley, you’d call it a pretty successful September. We’re properly into it now, aren’t we? Great, isn’t it?
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