Lee Richardson made two changes from the side beaten at Rotherham last Saturday. Derek Niven came into the side for Lloyd Kerry, while Gregor Robertson returned at the expense of Steve Fletcher. Both players missing out were included on a bench that had room for loanee goalkeeper Jamie Annerson, for the first time.
Chesterfield appeared to choose to kick with a strong wind and attacked the Kop. The opening phases of the game were, overall, just the sort of thing to get you thinking about continental holidays. Chesterfield looked the more ambitious but Accrington were able to defend with intelligence, efficiency and too much comfort. Stanley started with one up front, in the manner of so many visitors to the Rec this season, and for an opening half hour in which Chesterfield were careless with possession it looked like they'd keep the home side out. Add this to the fact that they lacked the ambition to go at their hosts, and you had the recipe for a broadly torpid first half-hour.
Still, Chesterfield came close on occasions, mostly through trying to play it through, rather than over, the opposition. Ward went down the right in the third minute to take a Picken pass and cross low; Robertson tried to force it home but it was cleared. The first Chesterfield corner of the game was headed goalwards by Downes, and saved; a scramble ensued and the ball eventually fell safely to Arthur in the Stanley goal. Lowry found Lester on 7 and Jack brought the ball down well, but was tackled before he could fashion a clear chance.
Kovacs headed a Leven corner into the Stanley net on 19, but the goal was disallowed for a push elsewhere in the box. Lester took a Lowry pass and fired into the side netting a minute later.
Chesterfield presented Stanley with the lead on 22, when Hartley's clearance went straight to a Stanley man; his cross was headed against the bar by Thomas, and leading scorer Procter picked up the scraps to shoot home from close range. Ward was fouled on the edge of the visitors' box on 24 and took the kick himself, forcing Arthur into a scrambling save at the second attempt. Mannix panicked on 28 and headed the ball over a ruck of players and out for a corner, from the edge of his own penalty area.
This was indicative of the lack of quality that Chesterfield were up against but, frustratingly, Stanley went two up on 29. Breaking from the corner that Mannix gave away, Roche was judged to have checked Whalley in the outer reaches of the penalty area. Despite Roche's protests that he had actually made way for the player the referee gave a penalty that Procter tucked away neatly.
Chesterfield had one hour to save their season and set about it in a more convincing fashion, with NIVEN pulling a goal back two minutes after the penalty. A Hartley cross was cleared only to the edge of the box and Derek worked it onto his right before crashing the ball home from around 20 yards.
If Stanley had kept their heads they might have come away with the points, yet they began to lose it at this stage. Before the kick-off could take place Picken and Craney were booked for handbags after Niven's goal, and Harris went into the referee's book for kicking the ball away on 34. Chesterfield sensed Stanley's uncertainty and went for it. Ward went through and shot, forcing Arthur to punch the ball away; it fell unkindly for the advancing Lowry, though.
Arthur was booked for time-wasting on 39. It is unusual to find a ref with the resolve to book players for this in the first half, and in some senses this was the most significant of all the day's bookings, since it gave no leeway for any repeat in the whole of the second period. To compound Arthur's misery Ward chased a loose ball down and forced him to slide out of play with the ball. The resultant corner very nearly went in at the far post but Jack Lester emerged from the melee bleeding profusely from his nose. With Jack off the field Janos Kovacs stayed up and chased a ball out of the box to return a cross that Robertson tried to glance home with a back-heel.
Dowson came on to replace Lester with a minute left to play in the half. The last action of the half saw Stanley clear off the line from another Chesterfield corner.
Chesterfield pressed from the commencement of the second half, forcing two early corners. Stanley replaced Harris with Andy Todd. Lowry was well set to receive a cross in the Stanley box but was clearly pushed in the back by his marker on 55.
The Spireites were pressing, but lacked a focus in the box, particularly for the more airborne stuff. The introduction of Steve Fletcher for Robertson on 57 proved pivotal. Within seconds of coming on Fletch challenged for a long throw; he didn't directly win it but the ball continued on and panic in the Stanley box saw ROBERTS plonk a header into his own net, sending Arthur the wrong way. Chesterfield won the ball back from the kick off and Fletcher was again involved in getting the ball to Dowson; his shot was blocked but it fell kindly for LOWRY to convert to give Chesterfield a 3-2 lead. The goal was reportedly timed at 22 seconds after the equaliser.
Stanley's frustration mounted. Todd was booked for a clumsy foul on Leven on the hour. Dowson was put through two minutes later and only a fine Kempston tackle rescued the visitors. Branch replaced Mannix on 68 as Stanley went 4-4-2 but the home side were in a more resolute mood and, although the fans understandably feared the one mistake that would give the visitors an undeserved lifeline, none was forthcoming. Kerry replaced Hartleyon 73: Picken went to left back and Lowry to right back, with Niven operating wider as the home side defended in a level of comfort helped by Stanley's lack of punch.
Craney broke through on 75 but Roche came out quickly to save. Two more pointless fouls brought bookings for Stanley men, when Richardson clattered Ward and Branch went in on Picken, within a minute or so of each other. By this time the Stanley Manager had been sent from the dugout after giving the linesman an earful: he sat blocking the way on the steps to the stand until, hilariously, a steward told him to hop it!
The Spireites wrapped up a much-needed and hard-fought comeback win by making it 4-2 in the closing stages with the best move of the game. Roche rolled the ball to Niven who made progress before finding Dowson in the box; he took it on and slipped it to WARD, who took the ball over the keeper before finishing from close range, with five minutes remaining.
Subs Not Used: Annerson, Winter.
Booked: Picken.
Goals: Niven 31, Roberts 58 og, Lowry 59, Ward 85.
Subs Not Used: Dunbavin, Mangan, Brown.
Booked: Craney, Harris, Arthur, Todd,
Goals: Procter 23, 31 pen.
Att: 3,274 (88 visitors)
Ref: Danny McDermid (Middlesex).
