The Spireites made two changes too the side which lost to Rochdale last week. Steve Fletcher dropped to the bench to be replaced by Jamie Ward and Alan O'Hare came in for his first start of the season and Michael Barnes warmed the bench. Hereford make no changes to their starting line up which defeated Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup.
In conditions monsoon like the game kicked off with the pitch looking sublime in the night sky. The Spireites started off kicking towards the Cross Street End and created the games first goal with Jack Lester cutting straight through the Hereford back line nipping into the penalty box twisting and turning and Jamie Lowry pops up to slot the ball past Wayne Brown the Hereford Custodian. It is the Cornishman's fourth goal of the season and his first at Saltergate.
On five minutes a great cross from Moloney and a hestitant Hereford defence cleared. A threaded through ball from Lester can't find Jamie Ward and the Spireites continued to press in the oppositions half. On 10 a lovely ball from Lester was cleared for a corner which turned into two more as Hereford couldn't clear, another corner by Ward sees O'Hare flat on his face on the turf chasing a header at the back post.
A lovely forward run by Lester similar to the first goal sees the former Blade trying to slot the ball to the outside run of Robertson but the ball ends up with Brown. Possession wise the Spireites are in complete control but effectively the game is scrappy. But within seconds it's 2-0 a poor backpass by Lee Collins and Lester snaps up his twentieth of the season and 100th career goal as Brown cannons his clearance of Lester's legs. Straight away another Shot by Lowry saw Brown save low down.
On 26 minutes a flicked header by Trevor Benjamin saw Roche scrambling but the ball went well wide. A Free kick is given for a tackle on Lester on the edge of the area, Ward took it and Brown parried the ball after a bounce and a corner was given which nothing comes of.
On 32 minutes a forward run by Simon Johnson saw Janos Kovacs step in and produce a wonderful tackle which Janos needed treatment for. The Big Hungarian was ok and comes back onto the field. 36 a lovely break by five Chesterfield players and the ball ended up with Leven who's curled effort just goes wide.
38 minutes gone and the score became three, a smashing ball from Moloney found Lowry they exchanged passes and he fed Lester down the right hand side he cuts in beats his man and slots past Brown. Sublime stuff from the Spireites. "Are you watching Mansfield?" is the shout from the impressively vocal Kop.
On 43 Niven burst through, he takes it over the half way line and passes to wide on the right to Lowry and his cross finds the head of Lester but his header goes just wide.
In stoppage time of the first half, Lester burst though and puts his shot just wide of the right hand post. Half time beckons and the Sausage Rolls are ready.
HT 3-0
Graham Turner sent his Hereford shellshocked band out early to get warmed up you somehow felt that if they did that before the game then they may not be in the position they were in.
Sam Gwynne replaces Trevor Benjamin at the break as Peter Leven gets a smack in the face from the ball but the man from Glasgow gets up as if nothings happened.
On 51 mins a short ball finds Ward with lots of space the little man looks up and smacks the ball from fully thirty yards against the crossbar. On 54 a cross by Lester just evades Ward and a fourth goal you would say is looking likely. The Spireites are breaking through the Hereford defence time and time again. On 60 a lovely move sees Moloney try his luck but straight into the arms of Brown. Jamie Ward opts to change his shirt fortunately for the rest of the team it's also in Blue.
A Yellow Card for Moloney after a tough tackle on Rose and went Hereford go close ish with a shot by Kris Taylor which went over the bar. On 73 mins a low shot by Theo Robinson was palmed away by Barry Roche for a Hereford corner and Chesterfield cleared after a scramble. 76 mins and The Bulls make a double substitution John McCombe replaceed Lee Collins and Clint Easton takes the place of Richard Rose. In almost the same move a standing ovation for Jamie Ward as Steve Fletcher came on.
79 gone and a shot by Lowry beckons the goal before Brown pulls off a smashing save. On 85 and with a few tired legs out there a corner from Robertson hit the bar and Hereford cleared. With the game entering its final phase Brendan Moloney picks the ball up in his own half and runs towards the Penalty Area he shot left footed from around twenty yards and the ball zoomed towards the back of the net with Brown flapping 4-0 the first career goal for the young Irishman.
On 92 mins a lovely cross by Lowry sees Fletcher head just wide which would have been the icing but I'm being very picky here.
FT 4-0
The look of us suggested that the manager had given everyone of them an earful at some point during the back end of the week, whatever he said worked. With O'Hare back in the team alongside Robertson on the left wing and Moloney and Lowry on the right our team suddenly had more balance and more verve typified by dominating the first half and effectively killing the game.
Time and Time again we were allowed acres of space down the right and left and we punished the Bulls three times in the opening 45.
Second half and Hereford came back into it without troubling the scoresheet but it seemed we were only a pass away from a fourth and it came in stoppage time of the second half and what a goal! A fifth home win and lets hope we can keep this up.
BY PAUL FISHER
