The Spireites played out a 0-0 draw with Premier League and Europa League outfit Nottingham Forest in the third pre-season friendly.
Paul Cook’s side came into this game off the back of a convincing 5-0 win against Burton Albion at the SMH Group Stadium.
The first half-chance came in the 12th minute for the visitors as Ryan Yates dispossessed Will Grigg and played in Callum Hudson-Odoi. The winger’s curling effort was easily held by Zach Hemming.
The Spireites started to grow into the game 20 minutes in as Dylan Duffy evaded a Forest defender with a superb first-touch to flick the ball over his head before squaring to Will Grigg to get a shot on goal, which Carlos Miguel saved comfortably.
One minute later, Armando Dobra skipped past multiple defenders to put himself through on goal with Miguel, but the keeper made the block with an extended leg.
Just past the half-an-hour mark, the Spireites had a good spell of possession in the final third which concluded with Duffy crossing from deep towards Dobra, who headed goalward, forcing Miguel to tip the effort over the bar.
In the 42nd minute, Vontae Dale-Campbell’s low cross was blocked before it was won back by Duffy on the edge of the box and had a shot on goal that was ultimately off target.
Neither side could find a breakthrough in a first half where the Spireites had the better of the chances but were not able to convert.
Substitute Liam Jessop whipped in a low cross in the direction of Will Grigg, in the 51st minute, but the cross was cut out. The resulting corner was narrowly headed over by Chey Dunkley.
Forest had two golden opportunities to open the scoring an hour in after Archie Whitehall’s cutback to Jota Silva was struck first-time and saved by Hemming.
The following effort was a header from Jimmy Sinclair, which was well saved by Hemming again, following Hudson-Odoi’s inch-perfect cross with the outside of his boot.
After a quiet 20 minutes, the Spireites had a chance after Lee Bonis broke free from the Forest defence and into the box before laying off Bailey Hobson to strike, but the effort was blocked for a corner.
Sheckleford picked up a loose ball on the right wing, with less than five minutes to play, and laid off to Trialist who put a first-time cross towards Bonis. The striker’s deft touch went narrowly past the post.
The Spireites now look ahead to another mid-week fixture against Europa Point on Tuesday, in Malaga.
Spireites: Hemming (Boot 62’), Daley-Campbell (Jessop 46’) (Sheckleford 62’), Dunkley (Naylor 62’), McFadzean (Grimes 62’), Gordon (Lewis 62’), Dibley-Dias (Trialist 62’), Stirk (Fleck 62’), Markanday (Elliott 46’) (Cook 62’), Duffy (Hobson 62’), Dobra (Colclough 62’), Grigg (Bonis 62’).
Attendance: 6,208 (2,994 away)
