Grimsby v Chesterfield preview
Friday 6 April 2018 12:51, UK
Grimsby look set to be without forwards Simeon Jackson and Mallik Wilks for the basement battle with Chesterfield.
Jackson is still building up his fitness following a hamstring problem and Wilks missed Monday's defeat at Wycombe after he was injured against Stevenage on Good Friday.
Siriki Dembele overcame an eye injury to make the bench against Wycombe and should be involved again. Ben Davies, Karleigh Osborne and Paul Dixon are still on the sidelines.
Chesterfield boss Jack Lester has no new injury concerns. The Spireites reported a clean bill of health after the 2-1 defeat at Port Vale on Good Friday, then saw their Monday meeting with Newport postponed.
Sam Hird, Giles Coke, Gozie Ugwu and Dylan Mottley-Henry remain long-term absentees. Chesterfield lie second bottom, one place and four points behind the hosts.
Opta stats
The last Football League meeting between these sides at Blundell Park was in April 2010 when they shared a 2-2 draw.
In all competitions, the last nine matches between these teams have produced 38 goals (18 for Chesterfield, 20 for Grimsby).
Grimsby are now winless in their last 20 League Two matches (D6 L14) - the current longest winless run across the top four tiers of English Football.
Chesterfield have conceded a league high 20 goals in the final 15 minutes of League Two matches this season.
Kristian Dennis has scored 39% of Chesterfield's 41 league goals this season (16 goals); the highest percentage of any player for his team in the division.
Prutton's prediction
Now this is a massive game near the foot of the Sky Bet League Two table. Four points separate Grimsby in 22nd and Chesterfield on the other side of the line in 23rd, but the Spireites do have three games in hand on their relegation rivals.
Games in hand are not wins, however, and Grimsby would feel fairly confident that if they could increase that gap to seven. But Michael Jolley's side have been on a dreadful run and I fancy Chesterfield to nick this one.
David Prutton predicts: 0-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)
