The Spireites were beaten 3-1 at the hands of Kidderminster Harriers at the SMH Group Stadium. It was a day to forget for the Spireites as they fell to their first home defeat of the season.
The Spireites’ only goal of the game came courtesy of an own goal from Kidderminster’s Matt Preston.
Paul Cook made five changes to the side that lost to York City, with Bailey Clements, Miguel Freckleton, Mike Jones, Bailey Hobson and Liam Mandeville coming into the starting XI.
Kidderminster took the lead in the fifth minute through Ash Hemmings. The ball fell to Hemmings just inside the box, and he struck the ball past a sea of Spireite defenders and into the back of the net.
Zak Brown had a chance for Kidderminster when he rose the highest to meet the ball at the front post, following a corner, but his header glanced over the bar.
Jeff King forced a fantastic save from Alex Penny, diving to his left, following a free kick, from around 20 yards out.
The Spireites equalised in the 30th minute thanks to an own goal from Matt Preston. The ball was crossed in from the right-hand side, Preston sliced his clearance and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
The Spireites came agonisingly close to taking the lead when Armando Dobra’s deflected shot, from just inside the box, trickled narrowly wide.
The Spireites went into half time with the score locked at 1-1.
Kidderminster regained the lead in the 48th minute. Zak Brown got in behind the Spireites’ defence and found himself one-on-one, Ryan Boot initially made a great save from the initial shot, but Brown was there to tap in the rebound.
It wasn’t long before Kidderminster doubled their lead. It was Preston, who made up for his earlier own goal with a fantastic finish in the 58th minute. With his back to goal, he turned and unleashed a powerful low driven shot that hit the post on its way into the back of the net.
The Spireites were down to ten men for the final moments of the game as substitute James Berry was forced off the pitch due to injury.
After this disappointing result, attention will now turn to next Saturday’s away trip to Wealdstone.
Spireites: Boot, King, Palmer, Freckleton (Curtis 75’), Palmer, Clements, Jones (Banks 62’), Naylor ©, Dobra, Hobson(Berry 59’), Mandeville, Quigley
Unused subs: Cook, Oldaker
Attendance: 8,337 (384 away)
