Preview: Chesterfield vs. Gillingham - prediction, team news, lineups

Both aiming to extremity three-match losing runs, Chesterfield and Gillingham volition quadrate disconnected astatine the SMH Group Stadium connected Sunday.

The hosts person dropped to 10th spot successful the League Two table and way the playoff places by 3 points, portion their visitors beryllium 14th and 7 points worse disconnected successful the midst of their ain rut.

Match preview

© Imago

Chesterfield caput backmost to the SMH Group Stadium connected Sunday aiming to bounce backmost to winning ways and constrictive their spread to the League Two playoff places, having suffered a dip successful signifier successful caller weeks aft an awesome archetypal fractional to their archetypal play backmost successful England's 4th tier.

After signaling 4 consecutive victories successful December, culminating successful a 1-0 triumph implicit second-placed AFC Wimbledon, the Spireites sat 5th astatine Christmas with 34 points connected the committee from 21 outings, having notched up 36 goals successful those games and managed 9 victories portion lone suffering 5 defeats.

They failed to widen that blistery streak immoderate further connected Boxing Day, though, visiting Fleetwood Town and suffering a 2-0 decision earlier a travel to Bradford City ended successful a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to circular disconnected 2024.

Paul Cook's men astir precocious hosted chap playoff-chasers MK Dons connected New Year's Day and fell to a 3rd consecutive league decision for the archetypal clip this campaign, with Darren Oldaker's 76th-minute extremity not capable to spark a turnaround aft Callum Hendry and Joe White had the visitors 2-0 up successful the archetypal half.

Having present dropped to 10th spot arsenic a effect of their rut, albeit lone trailing seventh spot by 3 points, Chesterfield volition beryllium hopeless to get backmost to winning ways to determination backmost wrong touching region of the playoffs heading into the 2nd fractional of the season.

© Imago

Their visitors besides caput into the play aiming to halt a rot successful League Two, having dropped into the bottommost fractional aft Christmas.

Aiming to situation for promotion to League One nether the absorption of Mark Bonner, Gillingham person endured a disappointing archetypal fractional to their 3rd consecutive fourth-tier campaign, presently sitting 14th connected 30 points from their opening 23 games.

Indeed, conscionable 2 of the Gills' 9 league victories frankincense acold person travel from their past 8 outings, portion suffering 5 defeats successful the aforesaid time, having beaten Salford City and MK Dons consecutively and drawn with Cheltenham Town earlier Christmas.

Bonner's men person failed to footwear connected and physique a playoff complaint since, alternatively sliding down the part pursuing 3 consecutive defeats, arsenic they firstly ended past twelvemonth by losing to Colchester United and AFC Wimbledon earlier hosting Bromley connected Thursday and succumbing to a 3-0 beating arsenic Louis Dennis, Jude Arthurs and Kamarl Grant each recovered the nett astatine Priestfield.

Now sitting successful the bottommost fractional and trailing the apical 7 by 7 points, Gillingham volition beryllium keen to bounce backmost to winning ways and statesman turning their play astir with a connection triumph successful Derbyshire.

Chesterfield League Two form:

Chesterfield signifier (all competitions):

Gillingham League Two form:

Team News

© Imago

Chesterfield proceed to contend with respective wounded issues, arsenic experienced attackers Will Grigg and Paddy Madden volition apt stay sidelined alongside defender Chey Dunkley.

In the lack of Grigg and Madden, Kane Drummond should again pb the enactment with plentifulness of enactment from the likes of Dilan Markanday, Armando Dobra and James Berry, who person produced a combined tally of 26 goals truthful acold this season.

Behind them, Darren Oldaker volition proceed to play a cardinal relation successful the midfield, portion Tom Naylor and Jamie Grimes volition again spouse up astatine the bosom of a backmost four.

Mark Bonner whitethorn opt to marque respective changes to the Gillingham starting XI which mislaid 3-0 connected Thursday, though helium whitethorn beryllium incapable to telephone connected Bradley Dack, who missed that crippled owed to an injury.

Attacker Elliott Nevitt volition anticipation to regain his starting spot up beforehand from Josh Andrews, portion Jayden Clarke, who leads the squad with 7 goals this season, should instrumentality from the outset connected the wing.

He volition apt articulation Jonny Williams and Jack Nolan successful enactment of a lone beforehand man, portion Armani Little and Euan Williams volition vie to commencement successful midfield successful spot of Timothee Dieng and Ethan Coleman.

Chesterfield imaginable starting lineup:
Thompson; Sheckleford, Grimes, Naylor, Horton; Oldaker; Markanday, Mandeville, Dobra, Berry; Drummond

We say: Chesterfield 2-1 Gillingham

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