City subs offer a glimpse of the future

Young, hungry players showing drive, determination and an unquenching will to win, even in a game that had absolutely zilch riding on it.

Those are the type of gems Stuart McCall hopes to unearth come August when his chopped-back budget guarantees a totally different squad.

McCall dreams of recreating the class of the early ’80s when the likes of Greg Abbott, Mark Ellis and, of course, a certain ginger-haired midfielder, burst eagerly onto the scene.

That exuberance was typified on Saturday with the performances of Nicky Law and Dean Furman. They covered every blade of grass, chased every cause and generally played this last-day consolation kick-about with the intensity of a cup final.

The bad news, of course, is that unless McCall won that Euro jackpot he joked about afterwards, Law and Furman are now part of City’s past.

Furman heads back north of the border and will surely have earned a say in Rangers’ first-team plans next term. Law returns to the uncertainty of being unwanted at Sheffield United, where he still has another year of his contract to run.

How McCall – and anyone connected with City – would love to see those names pencilled on his team sheet again.

The line-up he did put out to face Chesterfield contained several unfamiliar figures. The bench, in particular, was raw and untried.

And McCall will be hoping that they watched and learned as Law and Furman drove constant holes through a disinterested home side.

That the likes of Leon Osborne saw Law driving at the right back towards the byline, cutting inside and looking up before laying off the killer pass.

That the likes of Luke Sharry saw Furman’s determination to steal those couple of extra yards on his marker to make sure he was first to Law’s cross for the opening goal.

If those lessons are digested then the legacy of the dynamic loan duo will not have been wasted.

The young ones will certainly get their chance next time. The slashed wage bill dictates the policy change towards untried and, naturally, cheap.

The big earners should all be gone. Graeme Lee and Paul McLaren were already spared Saturday and Michael Boulding’s last-gasp strike was surely his swansong in a claret-and-amber jersey.

McCall’s team selection did not represent a complete dressing-room revolution but it was the start.

Naturally with the play-offs gone for both sides, there was a sense of emptiness about the day. McCall admitted the short journey down the M1 had been a flat one.

But he also made it very clear that he would not accept a “beach towel and flip-flops” display on the final day. With over 1,000 away fans once again, there was an onus on the team he sent to perform for them as much as themselves.

The City chief said: “I warned them if anyone was seen going through the motions I’d bring them off after 20 minutes. I’ve played in nothing games and you just need one or two ducking out and taking their foot off and it’s not fair on everyone else.

“I told the players they all had something to play for, be it here or elsewhere. We went out and played with a pride, energy and desire and produced some good stuff.

“We sat in the dressing room afterwards knowing that we’d got what we deserved. We’ve had plenty of games this season when that hasn’t been the case – if we’d got what we’d merited we’d be comfortably in the play-offs.

“It’s been a huge disappointment that we’re not. I know, for sure, we should have been. But it’s nice that we still finished with two victories once we we’re out of it.”

Chesterfield, minus one-man scoring machine Jack Lester, were woeful. Their display will have killed off any hope boss Lee Richardson harboured of a new contract in the summer.

The “Rico Out” brigade in the stands made their views pretty obvious throughout. But the weak-willed efforts of his players really rammed home the point.

But take nothing away from City, who ensured the travelling hordes could depart for the summer with a smile on their face.

McCall handed debuts in goal to Jon McLaughlin and up front for Rory Boulding. It was his first senior game for exactly a year – since Mansfield departed the league at Dagenham – and the first time he had started alongside his brother since December 2007.

It was a big day for McLaughlin, who has waited patiently all season behind Rhys Evans. With the regular first choice now gone from the scene, he had the opportunity to show what he could do.

Chesterfield didn’t provide him with that much, mustering just one shot on target and a bad miss late on from Drew Talbot, but McLaughlin’s handling was exemplary. He came for everything, took everything and looked every bit the confident keeper.

The only moment of concern was from his own doing when he took his eye off Matt Clarke’s headed back pass and let it slip under his foot for a cheap corner. But the keeper redeemed himself by gobbling up the kick.

The younger of the Bould-ings can also look back on his hour’s work with some satisfaction. He almost had a goal when a net-bound effort deflected off Lewis Montrose and played a significant part in City’s opener.

Furman’s goal in the 54th minute had been a long time coming because City had dominated up to that point.

Joe Colbeck was guilty of their worst miss when, sent clear by a lovely pass from Law, he drew keeper Tommy Lee but somehow dinked the ball wide of a gaping target. Keighley lad Lee escaped again when Lee Bullock slipped a defender to meet Luke O’Brien’s cross but hammered his free header the wrong side of the near post.

The second half was the first revisited. City wasted another chance within a minute as Paul Arnison’s inviting cross was scuffed by Michael Boulding from six yards out.

Then it was Law’s turn to pick out Colbeck, whose side-foot into the danger zone fell agonisingly between Michael Boulding and Bullock.

Law drew a good save from Lee before the pressure finally paid off – with the midfielder inevitably the key to it.

Clarke’s long ball was well fetched by Rory Boulding, who slipped it neatly into Law’s path. With the defence at full stretch, Law rolled a low ball across the box, where Furman came burrowing through to convert.

Chesterfield should have snatched an equaliser totally against the run of play when Talbot was adjudged onside as he collected Gregor Robertson’s through ball. But his attempted curler didn’t bend and flew harmlessly wide of McLaughlin’s goal.

As the natives grew more and more restless, City put the lid on it with Michael Boulding smashing home after Kyle Nix’s miscue had dropped at his feet.

One set of supporters bayed for the blood of a manager whose two years at the helm had failed to produce a play-off place. Those at the away end cheered McCall all the way down the tunnel.

His will be one of the few familiar faces to emerge from it three months from now.