‘We let them off the hook’ — Cook’s Chesterfield throw away two-goal lead at Crawley
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Gemma Lockyer
Chesterfield moved into the League Two play-off places on Saturday, but nobody connected with the club was celebrating. Paul Cook’s side were 2–0 up at bottom club Crawley Town and in complete control, only to concede twice in five minutes and settle for a 2–2 draw at the Broadfield Stadium.
For almost an hour it went to plan. Lee Bonis turned in Lewis Gordon’s cross in the first half for his fourth league goal of the season, and Louie Marsh made it 2–0 on 56 minutes, steering home after Dilan Markanday’s shot was half-blocked. The Derbyshire Times reported that it was the Sheffield United loanee’s seventh goal in eight games. Bonis and Marsh both missed good chances to make it more before the break, and Crawley lost their best defender, Akin Odimayo, who was stretchered off with a hamstring injury.
Then it went wrong. Substitute Gianmarco Di Biase scored a penalty after goalkeeper Ryan Boot fouled Priestley Farquharson, and soon afterwards he deflected in Dylan Morgan’s shot to level the scores.
Assistant manager Danny Webb spoke to the press afterwards and did not hide his frustration. “It’s extremely disappointing,” he said. “Crawley could have won it with free-kick they had at the end of the game. That is something that could not have been in their minds half an hour earlier. The result still looks a bit unreal. We should have scored more goals.” He added: “The fans were moaning and singing nasty songs about their manager. But we let them off the hook.”
Cook gave his own verdict to Spireites TV and said he was “fuming”. “We have a problem, a little bit of a softness,” he said. “There is something in us at the minute where we don’t have that trigger in the team to smell blood and kick on.” He described Crawley’s first goal as “a joke” and pointed out what had been at stake. “We had 20 minutes left to go to go home on the bus (possibly) in the top three. What an incentive that is. We didn’t smell that.”
He also warned against reading too much into good performances. “Good performance? So was Cheltenham but we lost,” Cook said, referring to the 2–1 defeat there in their previous away league game. “Patterns are patterns, and good teams after ten games have more than 15 points.” Still, he believes the signs are good, describing his squad as “a good set of lads” who “create umpteen chances in matches”.
The point lifted Chesterfield to seventh on 15 points, the last play-off place, with four wins, three draws and three defeats. They have scored 17 goals, the joint second-highest total in the division. The 445 travelling fans were part of a crowd of 3,474. The previous weekend they had beaten Tranmere 4–2 at home.
The Spireites travel to Port Vale on Saturday 17 October, then host Colchester on Tuesday 20 October and unbeaten Crewe on 24 October. They visit Newport for a Friday night game on 30 October.
Cook knows his side can create chances. Now he wants them to finish games off.
SMH Group Stadium is Chesterfield’s home on Sheffield Road at Whittington Moor, a short way north of the town centre. Opened in 2010 after the move from Saltergate, it is a compact, all-seater ground of just over 10,000 with four separate stands rather than a continuous bowl. Visiting supporters usually sit in the northern blocks of the Chesterfield College Community (East) Stand — typically E1, with E2 and E3 added when the allocation grows. That is a side stand, not behind a goal, so you watch the length of the pitch rather than an end-on view.
The address is 1866 Sheffield Road, Chesterfield, S41 8NZ (older sat-navs sometimes prefer S41 8LF). From the M1 leave at Junction 29, follow the A617 into Chesterfield, then pick up the A61 north towards Sheffield. The ground sits on your right after the Tesco / Asda roundabouts. Stadium parking is permit-only and usually closed to casual arrivals close to kick-off, so most away fans use nearby streets or Tesco Extra. Watch local restrictions and avoid treating Sanforth Crescent and Nelson Street as through routes.
Chesterfield station is about a 25–30 minute walk or a short taxi. Coaches drop near the away turnstiles on the east side. Entry for visitors is generally via turnstiles E1–E3. Tickets are allocated seats and are not sold for cash at the gates; buy in advance through your club or Chesterfield’s ticketing portal. Printed tickets from the stadium ticket office can carry a small surcharge. There is often a separate away ticket collection point if you still need to pick up.
The four stands are easy to place once you are inside. The LMD Vacuum Excavation West Stand is the main stand: tunnel, dugouts, directors’ box and hospitality. Opposite is the East Stand, part home, part away. Behind the south goal is the Motan Colortronic Stand, the noisy home end in the spirit of the old Saltergate Kop. Behind the north goal is the Auto Windscreen Stand. The goals sit in front of those north and south stands. All four sides are single-tier with no pillars, so sightlines are clean and the pitch feels close.
Concourses are covered and sell the usual matchday food and drink; Jackson’s pies are the local staple. A pint is typically mid-range EFL pricing. The fanzone and The Batch House opposite the ground are useful before kick-off. Recommended away-friendly pubs along Sheffield Road include the Red Lion, the Derby Tup / Glassworks area, the Donkey Derby and the Crown & Anchor. The Rose and Crown nearer the ground has often welcomed mixed crowds, but check on the day if a fixture is high-profile.
Families and disabled supporters are well provided for by modern standards: wheelchair platforms, ambulant seating and audio descriptive commentary can be arranged through the club. Flags are usually allowed if they carry a fire-safety label and stewards are happy with placement. Cashless or card-first service is common. After the final whistle the car park stays locked for a short period while pedestrians clear, so build that into your exit if you have parked on site.
The ground is tidy, compact and easy to read: north and south for the goals, west for the main stand, east for most visiting fans. Arrive early if you want a pint and a pie without rushing the turnstiles, and treat Sheffield Road as the spine of the whole trip — stadium, pubs and Tesco all sit on or just off it.