Chesterfield made on change to the team that was knocked out of the Carling Cup on Wednesday, bringing the fit-again Barry Roche back in place of Carl Muggleton.
Rovers dominated the opening five minutes, forcing three corners, but resolute work by the Spireites defence held them at bay. When Chesterfield did get forward through Hurst after a good turn left his man stranded, he couldn't find the well-placed Hall. Allott found Larkin, however, who missed his kick with his first effort but recovered to shoot just over.
Hall robbed Goodison on 25 but shot over. There were two shouts for a penalty, one in each box, but neither Allison or Hume got any joy from the referee. Greenacre beat the offside on 30 and got away but Roche pulled off a fine save to deny him. Greenacre broke through again minutes later and this time Roche forced him wide; the keeper scrambled back to save from Jennings as the cross came over.
A Hurst cross was cleared but Niven shot from distance: Sharps blocked it and Jackson hacked clear. Greenacre turned Blatherwick and ran on, going wide; Roche did well to cut the cross out.
Halftime - 0-0
Hurst found Larkin in the box on 47 and his shot on the turn went wide. Hume's 30-yard free kick on 53 somehow got through to threaten Roche, but the keeper dived full length to push it onto a post and the danger was cleared.
Allot shot inches wide from an Allison knockdown, and Larkin turned the ball into the path of Hall's run but a tackle came in. From the corner, Allison got up well but headed wide. As the Spireites started to link well, Hall's good work allowed Allison to find Larkin; from his cross, Allott's header was deflected for a corner. This was cleared, but Hall returned, only for Blatherwick to be fouled in the box. The ref remained unimpressed, though.
Larkin received a cut to his head in a collision and had to go off for stitches. While he was off, the Spireite impetus seemed to lapse. Nevertheless, Achterberg had to pull off a fine save to deny Niven from Hurst's cross, on 63. Aiston won a diabolical free kick by pushing the ball past Nicholson and then jumping into him. The "obstruction" was inside the box, but the ref placed it outside and allowed it to be taken direct. The shot came through the wall as if it was not there but Roche, who must have seen it very late, collected it with growing confidence.
Niven was booked for a 69th-minute foul on Bruce. Hall gave the ball away on 71 and Hume broke free. Roche sent him just wide enough to force the Tranmere man to shoot against a post. The rebound came back to him with Roche stranded this time, and he hit the same post!
Rovers took the lead on 75. A corner came over, deep; Roche was baulked by a Tranmere player and Jackson headed home. Folan immediately replaced Allison. Four minutes later Hurst signalled to the bench that he wanted to come off, and was replaced by Smith, to the inevitable chants of "You don't know what you're doing" from people who didn't see what was happening.
Kovacs was booked on 84 for pulling down an opponent after he received a shocker of a pass from a team-mate. Had it been any closer to the goal, he might have received a straight red. Roche made good stops from Roberts and Greenacre shots but the spirit shown earlier by the Chesterfield men had evaporated by now. Roberts' stunning 30-yard shot from an 89th minute free kick only served to rub salt into the wound.
As has been the case in previous games we offered something for a lot of the time, but not enough: Rovers looked easily the more dangerous when making chances. Greenacre caused problems to Blatherwick, who appeared to be carrying his injured back for half the game, and Nicholson never really had the better of Aiston. Under extra pressure, then, Kovacs did well.
Allott and Niven probably both had their best games thus far, this season. Still, the midfield looks disjointed at times as Hall struggles for a clear role. Hurst was good to watch on the wing. Larkin was busy, but was forced into the old Reeves trap of going too far wide to set stuff up, leaving no-one in the middle to finish it off. The Chief started well enough but his old mates had the measure of him, for the most part. The best performance was probably that of Roche, in goal, and it was rough on him to have conceded two. He was fouled for the first, and the second would have flashed past a Yashin.
It was worrying, but understandable, to see heads drop at 0-1. Somehow, then, someone has to pick the team up for Monday. Again, we did ok, but we have to do better than that to convert spells of possession into real pressure, and real pressure into goals. We did not get behind their defence enough, and most of our attacking possession ended with a man on the edge of their box, with his back to goal. Having seen us lose 2-0 I got home to find that we'd climbed one place in the table. Sometimes, this game defies analysis.
SB
