Two first-half goals gave Walsall a 2-0 lead back to their Poundland Bescot Stadium for the second leg.
Paul Cook named an unchanged starting XI from the side that secured the Spireites’ play-off place with a 1-0 win at Accrington Stanley. Armando Dobra and Jack Sparkes both returned from injury to take their places on the bench.
The first chance fell to the visitors within 30 seconds after a long ball bounced over the Spireites’ defence to George Hall, whose shot was straight at Ryan Boot to save with his feet.
The Spireites almost took the lead in the ninth minute, after some good passing work from Tom Naylor and John Fleck on the left eventually found Ryan Colclough and his cross ricocheted off two Walsall defenders and was just inches away from finding the far, bottom corner.
A top-class save from Tommy Simkin denied Colclough’s thunderous strike, cutting in on his right foot in the 20th minute, after a pinpoint ball through from Lewis Gordon to split the Saddlers’ defence.
Walsall opened the scoring in the 28th minute, through Taylor Allen’s penalty, which was conceded due to a late challenge from Liam Mandeville on Liam Gordon.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 39th minute after Liam Gordon’s cross was driven across goal and cleared by Kyle McFadzean. The clearance only reached the edge of the box where Alfie Chang smashed a low effort first-time to score.
The Spireites went into the break with a two-goal deficit to try and overturn, following goals from Allen and Chang.
A lightning quick start for the Spireites in the second half saw a Mandeville’s deep cross find Tom Naylor at the back post and his powerful header was saved again by Simkin, with quick reactions.
The Spireites came close to halving Walsall’s lead again in the 56th minute after Lewis Gordon’s cross was headed clear but only as far as Mandeville. His volley was blocked by Liam Gordon which prevented a certain goal.
Ash Palmer’s 70th minute header deflected off of Liam Gordon and looped up to hit the Walsall crossbar twice before going behind for another corner, in the Spireites’ search for their first goal of the tie.
Levi Amantchi latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a fierce snapshot at Boot’s goal but the Spireites’ shot-stopper managed to palm the strike over his crossbar, with less than five minutes to play.
As five minutes of added time was announced, substitute Dylan Duffy swung a cross to the back post towards Bim Pepple and his downward header was saved by Simkin, who got down well.
The Spireites will look to turn around the tie in the second leg at the Poundland Bescot Stadium on Friday, in the hope of making it to the play-off final.
Spireites: Boot, Mandeville, Palmer, McFadzean, Gordon (Sparkes 87’), Fleck (Jacobs 87’), Metcalfe, Naylor © (Pepple 79’), Olakigbe (Dobra 67’), Colclough (Duffy 79’), Grigg.
Unused subs: Thompson, Grimes.
Attendance: 10,001 (1,022 away)
