Chesterfield named an unchanged side after the penalty heroics of Wednesday night, but anyone who saw both games would have been forgiven that it was an entirely different sixteen. After the heroics of the League Cup the frustrating nature of supporting The Spireites was perfectly illustrated by having to watch such a lacklustre showing as today's performance, so soon after enjoying Wednesday's fare.

Rovers looked the more settled side throughout, although they enjoyed less possession than Chesterfield, to begin with. Roche punched firmly under a McCready challenge on 5; so firmly, in fact, that the visiting defender needed treatment. A minute later Taylor flashed a header over after a cross from Shuker, who enjoyed an influential game. Chesterfield directed much of their attacking stuff long and down the right, looking for late runs across from Shaw and Larkin. This tactic nearly produced a goal on 16, when Shaw chased the ball into the space and crossed, but the ball was taken off Larkin's head by a fine McCready challenge.

Downes was unluckily penalised on 15 after Taylor appeared to wrap an arm round him. Allott headed the free kick clear and charged out to distract Ellison as he shot. The Spireites put together a good approach that featured a fine cross-field pass from Hurst to Hall but Shaw could not get on the end of Hall's cross. O'Hare was working hard to contain Shuker but some Spireites were beginning to look tired, even at this early stage.

A lovely pass from O'Hare found Niven in midfield; he turned and helped the ball on in one movement, towards Hall. The former Rovers man took the ball on before crossing, but his effort was too close to the goal line to cause consternation. The quality of our crossing was perhaps below the standard expected all afternoon.

Shaw was given the chance to run through on 25 after a Downes clearance was allowed to run through the Rovers defence. He took the ball to the edge of the penalty area and shot, and Ward pulled of a good stretching save to his left. At the other end Roche was forced to parry from a close range shot after a Rovers man came round the back of the defence.

Kevin Ellison was enjoying a good game on the Rovers right but blotted his copybook on 38, when he picked up a booking for diving under a Downes challenge on the edge of the area. It was the sort of incident that often sees that falling attacker get the free kick, but referee Hill, who had a good game, was not persuaded.

McLaren followed Ellison into the book two minutes later for a foul in Chesterfield's half that prevented Larkin from turning with the ball. O'Hare got away to put over an inviting cross, but no blue shirts replied to the invitation.

Rovers took the lead in a rather bizarre fashion on the stroke of half time. Ellison's powerful shot was parried to Mullin, and his effort was deflected up and over Roche. Downes and O'Hare chased back to try to hack it off the line but seemed to get in eachother's way, with the result that Downes could only help it on its way. Expect the Rovers man to claim it, since it appeared to be going in anyway from our vantage point.

Chesterfield attempted to even things up at the start of the second half. Allott's long throw was helped on as far a Picken, whose long-range shot was accurate, but lacked the pace to bother Ward. Shaw found a good position on the penalty spot to head on Picken's cross, but headed it into the ground, and the sting went out of it.

Tranmere came back and won a free kick when O'Hare baulked Ellison just outside the area. The cross flashed through the Chesterfield area with Greenacre stretching to connect in vain.

Chesterfield brought Allison and Folan on for Shaw and Larkin on 55, to pep up an attack that caused few problems to the Rovers rearguard. Immediately the pir combined to set Hurst free; although his cross from the byeline went through unattended, the move did at least hint at a greater purpose among the attack.

O'Hare went into the book on 65 after dumping Shuker off the pitch and almost into the home dugout as the winger attempted to round him at speed. A minute later, Rovers went two up. Niven lost the ball in midfield and a sweet pass was played between Downes and O'Hare. Taylor latched on to it and lobbed Roche beautifully from around 18 yards. Bailey replaced Hall three minutes later.

Shuker went into the book after sliding into a challenge on Allott in the midfield. As The Spireites tired Rovers kept a high line in defence and were able to play our the rest of the game without much of a threat to their goalmouth.

Our record in Saturday games that follow Wednesday ones gets worse, with six defeats coming in the last ten such games. That might be one for the club to ponder. Chesterfield did not really get going all afternoon and Rovers, tidy and well-organised as they were, were not made to work too hard for their win.

SB