Evans proving worth after lengthy absence

GOALS . . . striker Ched Evans has hit four so far for his new club Chesterfield

CHED Evans will be aiming to hit the goals trail once again against the club that controversially came close to signing him a year-and-a-half ago.

The 27-year-old striker has struck four times for the Spireites on his return to the game following a four-year absence.

Eighteen months of that time was spent in prison after a rape conviction that was subsequently quashed in April. A retrial has been ordered which is due to start in a month's time.

For now at least, a player Athletic walked away from amid the glare of international publicity is fully concentrating on grabbing goals for his new club. Evans hit four in his first four outings for Chesterfield but has not bagged since.

And his side have suffered in the three-game run without the ex-Manchester City and Sheffield United man scoring, losing on each occasion.

The last defeat came at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, with former Athletic striker Dominic Poleon on the score sheet to hand the visitors to the Cherry Red Records Stadium a 2-1 loss.

It left experienced boss Danny Wilson an unhappy man, especially given the quality of chances passed up by Evans and his team-mates, including recent loan signing from Bolton, ex-Athletic man Conor Wilkinson.

"We've had four gilt-edged chances to to put the game beyond them and not taken them and that ultimately left us exposed," Wilson told the Derbyshire Times.

"We shouldn't have to score three or four to win games, we lost concentration at the end when we should have won.

"I keep saying we're outplaying sides but we're not winning games. We have things to work on defensively.

"We work hard all week, not just on attacking but defending too.

"The second goal was very poor to give away as we just didn't get tight to anybody.

"We need to strip things back and work on getting clean sheets again as we're conceding too many goals at the moment.

"Overall I'm frustrated as we should at least have come away with a point."