Close to his Chest

ARGYLE face Sky Bet League 2 table-toppers Chesterfield at Home Park on Tuesday night, but manager John Sheridan feels that his squad are up for the task.

Sheridan was the boss of the Derbyshire outfit for three years – a spell which included a promotion from League 2 and a win in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The Spireites will bring experience to Home Park via the likes of winger Gary Roberts, striker Marc Richards, and goalkeeper Tommy Lee.

Chesterfield manager Paul Cook has also added Mason Bennett from Derby County and Daniel Kearns from Peterborough United on loan to boost their promotion bid.

“They have got pretty good players for this division,” Sheridan says. “Obviously they’ve got Roberts. I have always liked Jimmy Ryan. They’ve got a bit of experience, some good young players on the team. I think we expected them to have a good season and they are having a good one.”

“Even when we played them up there I expected to get something from the game. Hopefully they are expecting a tough game and we will give them a tough game.”

Sheridan believes in his starters and thinks they are fit to handle the league leaders. 

“I can’t ask for anymore from the players’ attitude wise and work ethic. (They have shown a) great will to win. We take that into the game and as we have been doing as of late. Like I say we have got a good chance of getting something from the game. Whoever I play I expect them to give a hundred percent. Hopefully we will get a good result.”

The Spireites sit one point shy of second-placed Scunthorpe United. Bouncing back from the Saturdays defeat 2-0 to the Iron will not be an easy task for John’s team.

However, while the gaffer remains respectful to his former club that he won the League 2 title with, he is positive that his current side can overcome them.

He said: “They are doing really well and obviously they have aspirations of trying to get promotion automatically. They will come here trying to win and we will be trying to win a game likewise. But I expect a good game, a tough game, but a game we really have a good chance of winning.

“Despite the last game everything seems to be going really well. If we go out with a really good attitude we can we will have really good chance.”