There is no question that we liked Dylan Duffy.
He was one of those players who could excite you when he was on form. A dip of the shoulder, a burst of pace and a knack of beating players is something that gets fans off their seats. He was raw, and at the time, didn’t really fit into our 3-5-2.
So, when Chesterfield offered a figure thought to be close to £75,000 to purchase him, it seemed like a decent deal. Dylan is a good player, but was he the sort of player we could give lots of minutes to? No. It made business sense to sell him, retain a healthy sell-on, and hope for the best.
Let’s be honest, the betting indiscretion didn’t help either. It wasn’t Chris Maguire level of bad news, but it was just a black mark that maybe contributed to the decision.
What I would say is this – it was a decision the club agonised over. In private conversations, I was told we had no immediate plans to sell Dylan, but the money was good and Chesterfield wanted an answer. Remember, this was just before the window closed, and the Spireites needed to convert someone to a permanent deal so they could sign Michael Olakigbie on loan.
How has the move worked out for Dylan? How has he performed in League Two compared to League One?
Dylan Duffy Stats Comparison
Duffy’s League Two stint at Chesterfield has been his most productive attacking run in England. He returned four goals and five assists in 1,255 minutes, which works out at 0.29 goals per 90 and a standout 0.36 assists per 90. For Lincoln in League One, he logged three goals and one assist in 1,812 minutes—0.15 goals per 90 and 0.05 assists per 90. Shot volume is similar in both samples, yet the end product is not: at Chesterfield he shows a higher share of shots on target and a much sharper final ball, which points to a player who was trusted closer to goal and who made better choices in the box.
The wider delivery tells a similar story. At Lincoln, he attempted 63 crosses at 33% accuracy, roughly 3.13 crosses per 90, with about 1.04 finding a teammate. At Chesterfield, he attempted 65 crosses at 41.5% accuracy, around 4.66 crosses per 90 and 1.93 accurate per 90. That is a meaningful uplift in both frequency and efficiency, suggesting a role that gave him better angles from wide areas and teammates attacking better zones to attack his service.
He was often deployed as a left wing back at City, but at Chesterfield, they’ve focused on his attacking prowess. He’s played on the left of midfield, the left side of attack, and even centre forward in recent games against Harrogate and Gillingham.
With the ball at his feet, he has been direct in both spells, but the League Two version was more frequent, if not dramatically more successful. Lincoln: 90 dribbles at 51%, about 4.47 dribbles per 90 and 2.28 successful. Chesterfield: 74 dribbles at 46%, roughly 5.31 per 90 and 2.44 successful. The takeaway is not a transformation in take-on quality, more a nudge in volume and a similar success footprint, which fits with the broader picture of a player used higher and wider for Chesterfield.
Usage patterns help explain it. By a simple minutes proxy, at Lincoln, he had 13 games of 60+ minutes and 33 appearances under 40 minutes—a heavy tilt toward impact cameos. At Chesterfield, the split is currently 13 games of 60+ and 13 under 40, far closer to a regular starter’s rhythm. More starts bring more touches in dangerous areas, which is almost certainly why his crossing accuracy, shot quality and chance creation ticked up.
In short, the Chesterfield spell shows the same direct runner, but with steadier starts, better delivery, and far more end product. If he keeps up these levels of performance, that sell on fee could add a big chunk of change onto our net profit for the winger.