Report from CHESTERFIELD 4-1 MAIDSTONE UTD as the Spireites ease to comfortable win

It was an entertaining affair, if entirely inconsequential with both sides well aware of their fate in the National League.

John Sheridan’s Spireites, already safe, started well, went ahead and looked to have the Stones on the ropes, before a stirring fightback from the away side.

Clinical finishing was the difference in the end, Maidstone guilty of wasting good chances, while Town hit the net three times in the second half to take the game away from their visitors.

A lovely bit of play from Ellis Chapman created the game’s first chance, the wing-back skipping past two, getting to the byline and finding Tom Denton six yards out, the big striker unable to control sufficiently to produce a shot.

Stones had a pair of early corners easily dealt with and an Elliott Romain header drift over the top harmlessly, before Chesterfield created a glorious opportunity.

Scott Boden broke the offside trap, held the ball up and then picked out Curtis Weston, whose first touch took him to the penalty spot and his second pushed the ball just past the post.

The hosts had their tails up, Joe Rowley starting another move that saw Boden put in the clear by Weston, the striker’s low cross forcing a defender to concede a corner under pressure.

Chapman took the set-piece and found Laurence Maguire, alone, six yards out and he nodded wide.

A goal was coming and it arrived thanks to a huge slice of luck, Chapman’s corner headed as far as Brad Barry, 30 yards out, his shot taking a huge deflection to beat Chris Lewington in the Stones goal.

Maidstone had a chance to level almost immediately when Weston was hammered in midfield and the ball broke to Romain, who raced clear of Evans and even took it past keeper Joe Anyon, but was forced wide and Town cleared his cross.

Chesterfield were playing with confidence and their visitors looked shaky as blue shirts poured forward, Rowley, Chapman and Maguire seeing plenty of the ball.

Chances to double the lead came and went, Tom Denton heading down for Weston, who blasted over the top, Barry finding Boden with a cross, the striker seeing his shot blocked.

The Spireites were sloppy too, on occasion, and had Blair Turgott been more precise with his cross, the two unmarked men at the might have punished them.

Seconds later Turgott went on his own, using the pace of a pass to run past Haydn Hollis, taking it round Anyon and finding the empty net.

Lifted by the goal, Stones came close to taking the lead, Turgott getting to the byline and playing the ball right across the face of goal, no one getting the necessary touch.

Justin Amaluzor then took a turn at showing his pace, haring away from his marker and coming out of a challenge with Anyon with the ball at his feet, Josef Yarney making a goal-saving block to keep it 1-1.

Stones were back on the attack early in the second half, Turgott running through to beat Anyon and put the ball in the net before noticing the raised offside flag.

It was an even first quarter of an hour after the break, Anyon was called into action to smother Justin Amaluzor’s low shot and at the other end Denton nodded wide and Barry curled over the bar.

Chesterfield came a lick of paint away from a second, Denton’s lovely lofted ball sending Boden clean through on Lewington, who he deftly lobbed, only for the ball to bounce against the inside of the post.

Boden wasn’t to be denied a second time however and when Denton nodded down Evans’ high ball, the poacher swivelled to find the bottom corner.

Again, having gone ahead, Town failed to kill the game off and came under pressure for a spell, Turgott and Aron Davies guilty of wasting good shooting opportunities.

The home side did settle once more, however, and put together their most eye-catching move of the game, working the ball right, then left, where Hollis slid it down the line for Chapman, his cut back knocked over by Boden.

They made life a lot more comfortable six minutes from time, Chapman dropping the shoulder to leave a defender in his wake and hammering the ball goalwards, a defender seemingly getting the last touch.

And in time added on Maguire put the icing on the cake, controlling the ball 25 yards out and smashing a wonderful left-footed effort into the back of the net.

Chesterfield: Anyon, Barry, Chapman, Yarney (Smith 71), Evans, Hollis, Maguire, Weston (Weir 77), Rowley (Carter 73), Boden, Denton. Not used: Shaw, McKay.

Maidstone: Lewington, Phillips, De Havilland, Swaine, Wishart, Davies, Powell, Taylor (Embrey 81), Turgott, Amaluzor, Romain (Richards 90). Subs: Strizovic, Muldoon, Williams.

Goalscorers: Barry 18, Boden 68, own goal 84, Maguire 90; Turgott 36

Yellows: Yarney 51; Phillips 22

Referee: Garreth Rhodes. Assistants: Blake Antrobus, Paul Ince.

Attendance: 4,592 (140 away)