Amber Downs’ late strike condemned the Spireites to their first defeat of the season as Sutton Coldfield ran out 1-0 winners at the SMH Group Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
In a game that could have gone either way, Chesterfield were made to rue missed chances when Downs finished from close range in the 84th minute.
It is a win and a loss to start the campaign, but manager Pete Jarvis remains upbeat about his side’s performances. He said: “I’m happy with how we played but we just didn’t take our chances while we were on top.
“The girls are obviously really down and disappointed. I have just said to them that our second game last season was a 0-0 draw with Worksop. But then we bounced back after that much stronger.
“We as coaching staff are learning a lot about them at the moment. There’s a lot of new girls in the dressing room and we need to adapt the way we’re playing a little bit for this league.
“This isn’t the finished article of where we are and we have another level to go to, I hope, over the next few weeks.”
It was a positive start for the home side, who were playing in front of a 329-strong crowd at the SMH Group Stadium.
Both Imogen Fowler and Tilly Hallas-Potts saw early chances well saved by Sutton Coldfield goalkeeper Neve Jones.
The visitors were steadfast in their approach from the off, looking to nullify Chesterfield and profit from counterattacks.
But the Spireites’ press consistently prevented the visitors from breaking forward.
On the half-hour mark came the home side’s best chance to open the scoring.
Somehow, despite Ruby Shore, Amy Nowell, Fowler and Hallas-Potts all getting shots away, the ball stayed out thanks to heroic defending from the visitors’ rearguard.
On the cusp of half-time, Fowler again came within inches of opening the scoring.
The forward nicked the ball away from Jones and fashioned a deft backheeled finish past the keeper, but it rolled agonisingly past the post.
Eager to assert their authority on the game, Pete Jarvis made two changes at the break, with Jess Thompson and Sophie Bain both coming on.
The two substitutes were heavily involved in the next chance as Bain combined with Marshall to slide the ball through to Thompson, but her powerful strike could only find the side netting.
Last season’s top scorer Evie Carter was then introduced with 20 minutes to play and almost made an immediate impact, but her strike whistled over the bar.
The visitors began to grow in confidence as the home side showed signs of fatigue.
And with six minutes left to play, Sutton Coldfield took the lead.
Stephanie Kingston cut the ball across the area and Downs raced in to lash the ball into the roof of the net.
Chesterfield’s late search for an equaliser proved futile as they tasted defeat for the first time in the FA Women’s National League.
Up next is a trip to Loughborough, where they will take on Loughborough Lightning in the League Cup.
Chesterfield: Millington, Harding (Staples 89), Nowell, Brassington, Porritt, Cahill (Bain 46), Hallas-Potts, Marshall (Carter 68), Shore (Thompson 46), Morin, Fowler
