Nicky Travis the club's new loan signing from Sheffield United, injured an ankle in training on Friday and was unavailable for the game against Stockport County today. Accordingly, Adam Smith started in the place vacated by the injured Jamie Ward.
Stockport had won both their games so far without conceding a goal and would prove to be testing opponents. The Spireites settled first and fashioned the game's first chance in the second minute: A Leven throw was headed by Fletcher to Niven, who poked a foot at the ball but could only help it on it to Logan, in the County goal. At the other end, Roche had to go down bravely at Elding's feet as the forward tried to meet a McNeil flick-on.
A good move on 9 saw Smith find Fletcher, who laid it off for Niven; he worked it up to Lester, but the impressive ex-Forest man was crowded out. A Robertson cross was deflected for the game's first corner on 10, and Wiliams helped the cross across his own goalmouth for another corner that led to Winter shooting wide.
Stockport won their first corner on 28 after Robertson did well to turn and clear a ball played inside him. The flag kick was cleared by Leven. Moments later Leven brought the ball through midfield and fed Lester, who took it wide to his right before putting it away in fine style from 12 yards, but the offside flag correctly cancelled the goal out.
County won a free kick on the edge of the "D" when Kovacs was harshly judged to have fouled McNeil, who looked to have backed in first. Justice was done when the free kick was screwed wide.
Halftime: 0-0.
It had been an interesting contest between two evenly-matched sides up to halftime, with both sides going at it full-pelt, but without either side mounting a clear threat to the other. County took on a more adventurous approach after halftime and this offered us a match that became more engrossing as it wore on.
Within a minute of the restart Griffin had a chance to cross to Poole at the back post but over-hit it. The Spireites went forward and won a corner, but Leven's kick was cleared, and Picken's return fell into no-man's-land. Robertson made an error - it being his only one of note - when he sliced the ball out for a corner on 55. A firmer connection would have seen it fly into his own net.
Smith had worked hard without too much end product. County had their noses in front in terms of the balance of second half play, and Lee Richardson opted to try to pin them back by bringing on Jackson for Smith, after 56 minutes. Immediately, his pace caused problems for the County left side; he won a corner a minute after coming on and broke clear on the hour. He went round his full-back and shot, but the ball was cleared for a corner with Lester well-placed and rightfully frustrated. Three minutes later Jackson rounded his man again and crossed this time, but the keeper did well to push the ball out for another flag kick as Lester waited to convert.
County brought Dickinson on for Griffin on 61 and the substitute gave them the lead within a couple of minutes, braving a clash of heads with Downes to force Poole's cross home at the near post. Both players were forced to leave the field, and while the County man eventually returned, Chesterfield replaced Downes with Kevin Gray on 67.
Gray's first tackle resulted in his being booked on 71, a minute after Blizzard replaced Poole for County.
Allison replaced Fletcher on 72 and was immediately caught an elbow in the face, but Premiership referee Phil Dowd saw nothing untoward in that. A Robertson cross on 77 was headed out for a corner by Dicker. The ball came over, and an almighty, old-fashioned goalmouth scramble ensued. Gray headed the corner into a ruck of players; Kovacs momentarily emerged to shoot, but the ball was blocked. From a yard or so out, LESTER bundled it over the line to record a deserved equaliser.
Proudlock came on for Dicker on 80. Another mighty scrimmage took place in the County goalmouth that was ended only by a County boot sending the ball long and conclusively away. It came back, and Niven shot fiercely, but Logan was equal to it - the County keeper was having a fine game.
County might have got a winner on 83 but Leven came in to do enough to stop McNeil from converting from around ten yards, after the ball broke to him in the middle of the penalty area. Lester forced his way through on 85 and shot, but the ball flew off the angle of post and bar. Kovacs was booked for a foul on Dickinson on 85, and as the game entered stoppage time, Lester played Niven through with a ball of the highest quality. Niven looked for Allison but the ball was cut out. In the 93rd minute, Taylor was booked for tapping the ball away.
Result: 1-1.
