The Spirietes had to settle for a point as they drew 1-1 against Harrogate Town on Saturday afternoon, as Tobias Brenan’s late strike cancelled out Lee Bonis’ opener.
Chesterfield looked comfortable at the break after Bonis had given them the lead, but the goalscorer was then sent off on the hour mark.
And the visitors made the man advantage count late on, which meant that Chesterfield missed out on a chance to return to the play-off spots.
Paul Cook named an unchanged lineup from last Saturday when Tom Naylor’s double helped the Spireites secure a 3-2 away win against Bristol Rovers.
While the visitors ended their 20-game winless streak with a surprise 2-1 victory against an in-form Cambridge United, as both sides headed into today’s clash on the back of positive results.
But it was Chesterfield who started the brighter, and with only seven minutes played, Bonis saw his header crash off the bar after a floated cross from Dilan Markanday.
It wasn’t long before Bonis was afforded another chance, and this time he made Harrogate pay.
The forward was at full stretch to make contact with Liam Mandeville’s cross and poked his finish past Henry Gray in the 12thminute.
Chesterfield maintained the pressure as Mandeville and Dylan Duffy both spurned half-chances soon after.
Gray was then forced into a diving save as Tom Pearce’s deep cross looked to creep in at the far post.
As the half drew to a close, Recce Smith drew the first save of the afternoon from Zach Hemming, but it was a formality for the shot-stopper.
Straight after the break, Gray was called into action when he denied Bonis from point-blank range.
Harrogate responded with a string of attacks that required some last-ditch defending from the Spireites.
In a bizarre turn of events on the hour mark, Bonis was issued two quick-fire yellow cards while waiting to return to the pitch after an injury.
Firstly, he was yellow-carded for kicking the ball away, and moments later, he was dismissed for dissent, much to the confusion of those in blue.
Despite the man advantage, Chesterfield continued to push for a second.
Pearce fired a wicked cross into the area, and it seemed to be a certain goal for Markanday, but for the interception of Jacob Slater.
The visitors then grew into the game as the game entered its final stages.
And with six minutes left to play, found an equaliser.
Substitute Brenan was played through and finished past Hemming to bring the scores level.
Despite a frantic end to the game, neither side could find that all-important winner as the Spireites settled for a point.
Chesterfield: Hemming, Curtis, Dunkley, Swinkels, Pearce (Donacien 70), Naylor (Dobra 85), Braybrooke, Mandeville (Stirk 70), Markanday (Ladapo 70), Duffy, Bonis
Attendance: 7,808
