Gime Toure and Gus Mafuta both scored twice and Luke James was
also on target as Pools ran riot with a crushing 5-1 victory at Chesterfield on
Pools had already created numerous chances before Mafuta stroked
them in front on 23 minutes and James then scampered clear to drill a second
minutes later.Peter Kioso headed through his own goal in first half injury
time but if there were nerves on the terraces there were none in the Pools dressing
room and it was 3-1 early in the second half when Toure smashed in a wonder
goal.Toure then turned provider when he robbed back possession on
the right of the area to tee up Mafuta for his second before the French man
slotted home the fifth goal after great work from James.Kioso was stretchered off late on with a head injury to putslight dampener on a memorable evening for Dave Challinor and his side.
Pools didn't waste any time getting after their hosts and
they began fizzing the ball around on a slick surface with real confidence in
the opening minutes.Toure was looking dangerous coming off the left and he drove
his way between two defenders to let fly but his shot his Will Evans and looped
up in the air for keeper Luke Coddington to grab.Mafuta had his first chance of the night when he was slipped
through by James following good work from Josh Hawkes but the midfield man's
shot was deflected wide by a last-gasp challenge from Sam Wedgbury.James was next to have a sight on goal when he scampered
after a ball in behind down the right; Coddington inexplicably came charging
from his line in to no man's land but James' couldn't quite keep his chipped effort
from wide on target and it went just over.Pools were in complete control and Coddington had to make a
flying save from Hawkes' top corner bound drive from twenty-five yards – with the
Chesterfield keeper springing to his feet to block another effort from Mafuta
after Toure had kept the loose ball alive.The breakthrough came seconds later on 23 minutes when James fed a low ball back across goal from the right and Mafuta made it third time lucky with a clinical stroked finish in to the bottom right corner of the net.
Ryan Donaldson's deflected took a couple of deflections on its
way wide as Pools continued to press and they were 2-0 up on 27 minutes. Hawkes
sent a perfect ball forward for James down the right whose impeccable first
touch allowed him to run at Laurence Maguire. The front man charged on the
outside of the centre-back, finding an angle to drill a brilliant low finish
across Coddington and in to the far side-netting.Toure could even have made it 3-0 on the half-hour when he
wriggled skilfully inside from the left once again but his whipped shot dropped
just wide of the far post.There were ironic cheers from the home crowd when Scott Boden
mustered their first shot at goal, though it dropped wide – while Joe Rowley
struck a shot too high moments later and cutting in from the left.Hawkes was allowed to shoot again from twenty yards but thistime his low shot went just wide of Coddington's far post.
The Spireites grabbed a lifeline right on half time when a
corner was swung in from the right and when Tom Denton headed it back across at
the far post, Kioso ducked in to inadvertently nod past Ben Killip and into his
own net.Any hope the Spireites had following that moment of fortune was
extinguished three minutes in to the second half when Hawkes released Toure
down the right and French star cut inside on his left foot and hammered his
tenth goal of the season in to the roof of the net for 3-1.Better was to come just seven minutes later when Toure bullied
a defender off the ball on the right of the penalty area before laying it low
across the edge of the six-yard box for Mafuta who couldn't miss as Pools made
it 4-1 to leave the hosts stunned.The game was still less than 70 minutes old when Pools
grabbed their fifth. James brilliantly turned and drove his way past Evans in
to the left of the penalty area before delivering a ball in to the path of
Toure who steered it first time across Coddington and in to the net for 5-1.The closing stages saw Chesterfield try to put together some
attacking play and a corner from the right saw Kioso and substitute Mike Fondop
clash heads – the home striker was forced off and Kioso underwent lengthy treatment
on the pitch before being stretchered off and taken to a local hospital.It was the only negative on a remarkable night for Pools who
struck five on their travels for the first time in just over three years to
move within five points of the National League top seven.Full Time: Chesterfield 1 Pools 5
Chesterfield: Coddington, Evans, Maguire, Sheridan, Rowley, Gevaro, Wedgbury (Mandeville 53), Smith, Shaw, Boden, Denton (Fondop 60 (McGlashan 89)).
Subs not used: Jalal, Buchanan.
Booked: Sheridan.
Pools: Killip, Kioso, Raynes, Kerr, Kitching, Donaldson, Mafuta, Featherstone, Hawkes (Richardson 62), Toure (Muir 76), James (Kabamba 76).
Subs not used: Cunningham, Kennedy.
Attendance: 3,420 (252 Poolies)
Referee: Martin Woods.