Jess Waplington’s second-half double secured a dramatic 4-2 win for the Spireites against Wellingborough Town on Sunday afternoon.
An own goal and Elin Morin’s strike gave the league leaders a 2-0 buffer at half-time, but Wellingborough’s two second-half goals made for a nervy ending.
Ultimately, Waplington’s goals proved the difference as Chesterfield made it three league wins in a row.
Manager Pete Jarvis was proud of his side after a hectic run of fixtures and delighted that they managed to get over the line today.
He said: “It was a really dominant first half, and I was impressed with the performance.
“We have done enough to get over the line in the second half. It’s fair to say that after just a two-day rest since the Rotherham game, which took it out of us, we dropped our levels a little bit.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance by any means, but we have done the job and got the three points.”
Buoyed by their midweek win against title rivals Rotherham, the Spireites started the game in a dominant mood and enjoyed the majority of the early possession.
There were early chances for Chloe Foster and Evie Carter, but Joanna Daniel produced a string of saves to deny the home side.
Chesterfield continued to keep the play in the Wellingborough half, with a goal becoming increasingly likely.
In the 37th minute, the hosts finally took the lead.
Carter fizzed a dangerous ball across the face of the goal where Laura Porritt was waiting for a tap-in, but the sliding defender bundled the ball into the back of her own net.
Once the deadlock had been broken, the Spireites didn’t have to wait long for another.
Morin blitzed through the Wellingborough defence and fired an unstoppable strike into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0 with 41 minutes played.
At the interval, the game looked to be a formality.
But Wellingborough emerged as a side with a point to prove.
And just seven minutes into the second half, they halved the deficit.
Paige Johnson was deemed to have brought down Grace Adeyinka in the area, and the referee, after some hesitation, pointed to the spot.
Up stepped Lauren Adams, whose penalty had too much power for the outstretched glove of Johnson.
The visitors then looked most likely to score as they upped their intensity.
Somewhat against the run of play, Waplington restored the two-goal cushion in the 79th minute.
Morin’s near-post cross was controlled and finished excellently by the substitute forward to give the Spireites breathing room.
However, with five minutes to play, Wellingborough struck again through a deflected effort, leaving the game on a knife-edge once more.
But any anxiety was short-lived as Waplington netted in the 89th minute.
The striker profited from a loose touch by Daniel, and her finish dribbled over the line, securing all three points for the Spireites.
After a hectic schedule, Chesterfield will now benefit from a two-week break before facing Anstey Nomads on November 2.
