Chesterfield made three changes to the starting line-up against Walsall last time out. Two were quite predictable - the return of Allison and Larkin - but Blathers' absence came after he injured his back at home and failed a late fitness test. Alan O'Hare came in for his first home start of the season.
The Spireites had not scored in the first fifteen minutes of any game they'd played thus far, and had conceded six goals in that time-slot. That very nearly changed within 14 seconds of the kick-off when Hurst picked up a loose ball outside the box, looked up and whacked it against the corner of post and crossbar. With three minutes gone a poor Collins backpass allowed Allott to press the keeper; it came out along the line to Larkin, who lifted it back goalwards. Humphries was on hand to head out from under his own crossbar.
The Spireites had the better of the opening phase, then, but custom and practice called for them to go behind, and Hartlepool obliged on 10 minutes. Maidens chased the ball down the left and crossed, for Proctor to flash an angled header home. A minute later Nicholson quickly took a free kick with Hartlepool's wall all of a couple of yards away; the ball ran through without great power to the keeper, who got down well to gather.
There was probably a bit too much ball in the air from the home side, but Chesterfield's midfield was getting up well in support. As this became apparent, so the home side worked it through the middle more. Niven robbed a defender, slipped a challenge and shot just wide from 18 in the 16th minute. Niven did the same again three minutes later after Allison and Hall combined well. An Allott shot from 20 yards flew just over on 23 and another Niven effort from distance went close on 30.
Roche got down well to save Butler's shot at the feet of Proctor, who was booked for using foul language on 38 minutes. A long free kick for the Spireites came to Allison, who was fouled on the edge of the box; Nicholson's free kick went through a big wall but the keeper was down to it quickly.
Alan O'Hare was booked for a clumsy challenge on Maidens after 42.
Halftime: Chesterfield 0 Hartlepool United 1
Harttlepool replaced Maidens with Llewellyn at half time. Chesterfield continued to work the ball up to the edge of the box and equalised on 53. Allott and Niven combined to find LARKIN, over to the right on the edge of the box; he turned and shot home, off the keeper's right-hand post. Chesterfield's attack-minded midfield supported their forwards well and caused consternation in the Hartlepool rearguard by snappy passing and purposeful running.
Davies went into the book on 56 for a foul on Tinkler that, from the look of it alone, might have earned a red from any other referee. To his great credit Tinkler was up quickly and was rather perversely booked as well. A lack of communication in the Spireite rearguard on the hour caused Hazell to cushion a pinpoint pass into the path of Proctor, eight yards out. Thankfully, the Hartlepool forward could only spoon the ball wide. Roche pulled off a good save from a Bullock shot on 63, as Hartlepool enjoyed a good five minutes. After being spoken to by the ref for a challenge on Hazell that was late, but harmless, Proctor was taken off and replaced by Foley, on 64.
Two minutes later, Chesterfield took the lead. Allison worked the ball out to Hall, who crossed from the right. The ball was scuffed out while Larkin lurked, but it went only to NIVEN, who crashed it home from 25 yards. Butler was booked for taking Hurst down from behind on 71; Nicholson picked out O'Hare, whose header went over. Clingan replaced Hurst on 72.
Turnbull came on for Tinkler on 76 and Llewellyn went into the book for leaving a foot in on Davies. Chesterfield extended the lead on 78 when Larkin spotted Hall making ground up the right. HALL took the ball at Humphries but cut inside, along the edge of the box, before unleashing a shot that beat the keeper at his right-hand post. Larkin went into the book for an overcooked dive over the keeper's challenge on 81, and the hard-working forward was replaced by DeBolla on 87. In injury time a Humphries cross went over everyone and Roche saved well from Bullock to preserve the 3-1 lead.
After a slightly loose start O'Hare and Hazell grew in authority at the back and with Davies and Nicholson on their game, the defence coped pretty well with Hartlepool's forwards throughout. As soon as we got the ball down and played it, we won the midfield and kept it, with Allott and Niven impressing in the centre, and Hall and Hurst causing problems out wide. The link between Allison and Larkin wasn't quite as strong as it has been, but the two had fine individual games, Allison working hard to win it in the air and Larkin causing problems consistently on the floor. Despite going in one down at half time, not too much was going wrong, and Roy McFarland's half-time talk obviously stressed this; with a little fine tuning and a great deal of heart, Chesterfield were able to in the battles in midfield and come through to win.
SB
