The Spireites had to settle for a point after being held to a 2-2 draw against Southend United at the Technique Stadium.
Goals from Jeff King and Calvin Miller were not enough to give the Spireites all three points.
Laurence Maguire came close for the Spireites in the opening stages of the game with a looping header that went narrowly over the bar.
King opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a spectacular strike from distance on the half volley that flew into the top left corner.
Southend had a good chance when Nathan Ralph met the ball with his head inside the box. However, his header went over the bar.
The Spireites had a good chance in the 38th minute when Akwasi Asante tried to beat Steve Arnold at his near post, but the Southend keeper managed to tip the ball over the bar.
Miller had a chance to double the Spireites’ lead just before the break when he broke away from the Southend defence, but his effort went over the bar.
The Spireites went into half time with a one-nil lead.
Southend had a great chance from a corner when Ralph met the ball with his head and Scott Loach made a fantastic reflex save.
Southend won a penalty in the 51st minute when Loach brought down Will Atkinson in the box. Sam Dalby stepped up and put the ball away in the 53rdminute, despite Loach getting a hand to the ball.
Substitute Joe Quigley came close for the Spireites with great header that almost beat Arnold at his near post, the keeper doing well to make a save.
The Spireites regained the lead in the 78th minute. A great cross from King found Miller in the box who glanced the header into the bottom left corner.
Quigley went close again when Joe Rowley fizzed the ball across the box and the striker put it over the bar.
Southend had a great chance to level when substitute Callum Powell was sent through one on one – he tried to find the bottom corner but put the ball wide.
Rowley almost increased the Spireites’ lead, hitting the bar after breaking into the box from the right-hand side.
The visitors equalised in the 88th minute when Spireites substitute Fraser Kerr put the ball into his own net when trying to deal with a cross.
The Spireites now look towards next Saturday’s away trip to fellow promotion hopefuls Boreham Wood.
Spireites: Loach, Whittle, Grimes, Maguire, King, Miller(Kerr 87’), Weston, Kellermann (Rowley 53’), Whelan, Mandeville, Asante (Quigley 64’)
Unused Subs: Minter, Williams
Attendance: 6,625 (803 away)
