Chesterfield’s first midweek match of the League Two season sees them travel to face Gareth Ainsworth’s Gillingham on Tuesday night.
The Spireites have started the 2025/26 campaign in excellent form, winning three out of three, and will be confident ahead of their trip to the 13th-placed Gills.
Despite not beating the Kent side in almost a decade, Paul Cook will hope to follow up Saturday’s 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers and maintain their perfect record.
Last match
After defeat to local rivals Mansfield Town in midweek, a big result was needed against Darrell Clarke’s Bristol Rovers, who were relegated from League One last season.
The Spireites dominated possession but struggled to break the deadlock until a game-changing moment less than 10 minutes before half-time.
With Armando Dobra racing down on goal with Lee Bonis alongside him, Gas full-back Joel Senior brought down the Albanian just outside the penalty area and was given a straight red card by the referee for denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
Although the visitors’ fans and dugout debated the decision, the hosts quickly made the most of it and Tom Naylor’s towering header looped into the far corner of the goal just two minutes later.
With a man advantage and over half the game remaining, the Blues ought to have controlled the game and not given Rovers a way back in, but that did not happen.
Defender Alfie Kilgour beat Kyle McFadzean to a header to create a chance for himself and, despite Zach Hemming’s initial save, substitute Isaac Hutchinson followed in to slide the ball in and level the score with 68 minutes on the clock.
However, Cook’s men were not to be beaten and, moments after coming on, Adam Lewis’ in-swinging corner found the head of McFadzean and the veteran sublimely glanced the ball over the outstretched hand of Luke Southwood and into the net.
Then, with the away side’s hope almost extinguished, fellow substitute Liam Mandeville swept a cross along the six-yard box and Dobra met it at the back post to seal victory and a third consecutive three points for the hosts.
Spireites team news
One of the biggest positives from Saturday was that the Blues made it through the game with no more injuries, having suffered a few already this season.
Luke Butterfield has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after breaking a metatarsal on his debut against Mansfield, whilst the returning James Berry will not be involved until next Saturday at the earliest.
Fellow loanee Matt Dibley-Dias also injured his ankle against the Stags, but should return soon, whilst Devan Tanton has begun running again following his own ankle issue.
Midfielder John Fleck made his first appearance of the season off the bench against Bristol Rovers after being sidelined with a cracked rib and Mandeville has not looked to have any problems following his knee surgery in pre-season.
After three wins in a row in the league, Cook is likely to name the same eleven on Tuesday night but could rotate slightly, given that his team will have had five games in two weeks once we get to Harrogate Town on Saturday.
Opposition news
Gillingham have had a quiet transfer window with just four players moving to the Priestfield Stadium, including former Premier League striker and Wales international Sam Vokes.
The 35-year-old has been joined by left-back Lenny Cirino, who signed from 8th-tier Clitheroe, former Bristol City striker Seb Palmer-Houlden and ex-Hull City defender Andy Smith.
They released experienced trio Max Ehmer, Timothée Dieng and Oli Hawkins but have retained experienced duo Bradley Dack, who spent six years in the Championship, and Jonny Williams, who was part of the same Wales Euro 2016 squad as Vokes.
Conor Masterson and Shad Ogie are both sidelined by injury for Tuesday’s game, whilst fellow defender Max Clark was sent off in their last game so will also be absent.
After finishing 17th last season, the Gills have won one and drawn two games so far this season.
They began with a 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley before a 1-0 home win over Walsall thanks to Dack’s goal.
A penalty defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the first round of the Carabao Cup followed before Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tranmere Rovers.
Gareth Ainsworth was appointed as the club’s manager in March after a short spell at Shrewsbury Town in League One and has remained unbeaten in his 13 games in charge since then, winning four and drawing nine.
He previously guided Wycombe Wanderers to promotion to the Championship twice in 2018 and 2020.
Previous encounter
The Spireites were unsuccessful in their two matches against the Gills last season, drawing one and losing one.
A one-goal away defeat at the end of August was their first defeat back in the Football League, whilst April’s draw saw Will Grigg rescue a crucial point for the Blues in their play-off run-in after Elliott Nevitt’s early goal.
Chesterfield’s last victory against Tuesday’s opponents came in February 2016, when goals from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Lee Novak secured a 2-1 win against a Gills side who had a 17-year-old Darren Oldaker on the bench.
Interestingly, the Spireites’ last fourth-tier win against Gillingham was a 3-1 result in May 2011, confirming their position as League Two champions.
Chesterfield 1-1 Gillingham, 8 April 2025:
Spireites lineup: Ryan Boot, Liam Mandeville, Ash Palmer, Kyle McFadzean (Armando Dobra), Lewis Gordon, Jenson Metcalfe (Jamie Grimes), John Fleck, Michael Olakigbe, Paddy Madden (Ollie Banks), Dylan Duffy (Ryan Colclough), Will Grigg (Bim Pepple); Bench – Max Thompson, Tom Naylor
Match details
Gillingham v Chesterfield
League Two
Tuesday 19 August
19:45 KO
Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham
