Chesterfield took an unchanged starting line-up into the match with Shrewsbury Town, chasing a fifth win "double" of the season to keep in touch with the play-off places.

An encouraging start saw Chesterfield keep the ball well, while playing a game built, for the most part, round good, short passes and patience. Shrewsbury posed the first threat, though, and fans of Cross Street called for a penalty when Hibberd went down under Roche's challenge, but the goalkeeper was rightly judged to have won the ball.

Graham Lee - famously, a Spireite target - went into the referee's notebook as early as the ninth minute, for a wild challenge on Dowson as he broke through down the left. Leven's free kick was cleared to Niven, whose shot from 25 yards tested Garner in the Shrewsbury net, without troubling him.

Fletcher fed Ward on 13 and Jamie pulled the ball down, turned and shot, forcing Garner into a good save at the expense of a corner. At the other end a Barnes cross threatened to cause confusion but Hawkins and Picken combined to see the ball away.

Jamie Lowry forced the ball into the net - or, possibly, forced a Shrewsbury man to do it - but he had come back from an offside position to do so, and the 19^th-minute goal was ruled out. Garner pulled off a fine "camera save" a minute later to turn a Ward shot over the bar.

Fletcher worked hard to get two efforts on goal in from close range on 21, but Tierney cleared the last for a corner. At the other end, Hibbert brought the ball down and shot on 26, but Roche pulled off a good save to prevent the visitors from taking the lead. Fletcher was booked for a foul on Barnes on 32. Moss was booked for a foul on Dowson on 38; Picken's cross saw Fletcher head it goalwards a minute later, but Garner denied him on the line. Dowson was booked for a foul on Herd on 39.

Half time: 0-0.

Chesterfield brought Cooper on for Hartley at half time, pushing Picken over to the left and pulling Lowry back to right-back. Cooper worked on the right of midfield and Dowson on the left, and the latter immediately began to cause problems with canny running across the face of the defence.

Chesterfield took the lead through DOWSON on 47. Ward played him in and the Sunderland loanee held off a couple of opponents and shot from the edge of the box. The keeper may have been wrong-footed by a deflection, but they all count!Two minutes later Fletcher rose to flick it towards WARD, whose 20-yard volley left Garner a hopeless spectator and doubled Chesterfield's lead.

Shrewsbury made a double substitution on 55, Madjo replacing Barnes and Humphrey coming on for Leslie. This had no effect on Chesterfield, who went three up three minutes after that. Lowry's fine ball allowed WARD to run on and crash a shot from 25 yards past the keeper and into the net.

Lowry was booked for a foul on the industrious Davies and Graham Lee completed a miserable afternoon by being substituted with blood running from his nose, Ryan replacing him on 72.

Three Shrewsbury corners in quick succession led to their getting a goal back on 80, when McIntyre rifled home from 25 yards. Chesterfield brought Dyer on for Fletcher on 81, and the veteran centre received an ovation that paid tribute to his hard work and effectiveness. Bruce became our fourteenth debutant of the season, equalling the record of 1983-4.

Dyer was involved in the build-up to Chesterfield's fourth goal, DOWSON striking it left-footed from the edge of the box on 90 to make the game safe. Kerry replaced him immediately after, and the referee brought a satisfying game to a close with a few seconds of the advertise stoppage time still to play.

Roche had a steady game, pulling off a couple of good saves to keep the scores level in the first half. Although Shrewsbury tried width, neither full-back was seriously troubled, and Downes clearly benefits from having Hawkins alongside him. The ex-Coventry man marshals well, concentrates, has a good turn of pace, likes to go forward on the occasional "Blatherwick" and relishes the physical side of the game. He stands out as a player it would be great to keep next term.