The Spireites booked their place in the FA Cup first found proper with 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over Stockport County after a 1-1 draw in normal time at Edgeley Park.
John Pemberton made five changes to the side that lost to Wealdstone in mid-week. Josef Yarney, Laurence Maguire, David Buchanan, Milan Butterfield and Alex Kiwomya returned to the starting XI.
Jamie Sharman, Haydn Hollis, Tyler Denton, Jonathan Smith and Liam Mandeville were the players to make way. Nathan Tyson recovered from his dead leg to start the FA Cup tie.
Stockport created the first chance in the 7th minute. Alex Reid made his way into the Chesterfield area and saw his shot palmed away by Kyle Letheren for a corner. The subsequent corner was headed just over the bar by Lois Maynard.
The visiting Spireites responded with a good chance of their own just four minutes later. Maguire rose highest to meet a cross, but his header flew over the crossbar.
The game failed to see anything in the way of chances until after the half hour mark. A lovely free-kick routine found Buchanan, but his effort was well saved by Ben Hinchliffe. Jordan Cropper followed up but his volley was sliced wide of the goal.
Pemberton’s side finished the half on top and were unlucky not be in front. Tyson was the first to latch onto to a Tom Denton flick-on; however his effort was thwarted by the legs of Hinchliffe.
The Spireites started the second half in the way they finished it, by pressing the Stockport backline. Butterfield nicked the ball off Liam Hogan in the box before being brought down; the referee wasn’t interested though and waved away appeals for a penalty.
Stockport seemed rejuvenated by the decision and were unlucky not to take the lead as Adam Thomas and Hogan both had chances cleared off the line.
The hosts took the lead just before the hour mark through Hogan. Letheren’s punch from a corner fell to the defender who just tapped home into an empty net.
With 15 minutes to go, the Spireites though they had scored a deserved equaliser. Tom Denton’s effort rebounded off Buchanan before the striker lashed home. However, the offside was up as Buchanan strayed marginally offside.
In the 86th minute, Chesterfield finally found a leveller. Tom Denton knocked the ball down to Butterfield, who smashed the ball home at the near post. The score stayed at 1-1 and the tie went to penalties.
After the first two penalties, the score was 1-1. John Rooney and Yarney had their efforts saved by Letheren and Hinchliffe respectively.
Every subsequent penalty was dispatched by the taker until the seventh round of penalties. Sam Minihan blazed his spot-kick over the bar before Butterfield coolly rolled his penalty into the back of the net.
The Spireites won 7-6 on penalties to book their place in Monday’s FA Cup first round draw.
Chesterfield: Letheren, Cropper, Yarney, Evans (c), Maguire, Buchanan (Tyler Denton 81), Butterfield, Weston, Kiwomya (Mandeville 85), Tyson (Rawson 77), Tom Denton.
Unused substitutes: Wharton, Sharman, Smith, Boden.
