The Spireites secured a well-deserved 2-1 win over Newport County at the SMH Group Stadium, thanks to two quickfire goals from Ollie Banks and Bim Pepple just before half-time.
Three changes were made to the side that started against Colchester last time out, as Pepple, Armando Dobra and Darren Oldaker started in-place of Paddy Madden, Dylan Duffy and Bailey Hobson.
Jack Sparkes’ corner in the seventh minute was heading goalward, forcing Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend to punch over the bar.
The resulting corner was headed back into the danger area by Ashley Palmer, towards Tom Naylor who could not find his feet in time to get a shot on goal.
Dobra tried his luck from the edge of the area, after a well-worked move in the 14th minute, but the effort kept rising over the crossbar.
Just shy of 20 minutes into the game, Sparkes delivered another dangerous corner into the box and Jamie Grimes headed over at the near post, under pressure from Townsend.
A loose back pass was almost latched onto by Pepple but Townsend did enough to prevent a goal, injuring himself in the process.
Boot pulled off a brilliant one-on-one save, with his feet, to deny David Ajiboye from breaking the deadlock after he was sent through on goal by Cameron Antwi’s long ball.
Newport took the lead against the run of play, in the 40th minute, through Matt Baker. The defender converted first-time from a loose ball, following a corner for the visitors.
The Spireites hit back with an instant reply, in the 42nd minute, through Banks. Naylor flicked on yet another great corner from Sparkes and the Spireites’ number 28 poked home at the far post.
Pepple put the Spireites ahead just before half-time, after Palmer headed Sparkes’ cross back across goal for the Canadian striker to bundle home.
Boot pulled off a top reaction save to deny Courtney Baker-Richardson from equalising just before the break, to see the Spireites into half-time with a 2-1 lead.
There were appeals for a Newport penalty, early in the second half, as the visitors claimed that Bobby Kamwa was brought down by Palmer, but referee Michael Barlow was unmoved.
Baker-Richardson thought he had beaten the Spireites’ offside trap as he was sent through on goal, but the linesman’s flag was raised.
Play was stopped in the 58th minute and all four sides of the SMH Group Stadium stood to applaud Spireites’ owner Phil Kirk, following the announcement of his cancer diagnosis, last week.
Just past the hour mark, Banks was sent through on goal and tried to prod an effort underneath Townsend, but the shot-stopper prevented the Spireites man getting his second goal of the game.
Pepple was a matter of inches away from his second of the afternoon, in the 76th minute, after cutting in from the left and trying his luck from outside of the box, but his effort crashed off the post.
Pepple struck the other post, less than a minute later, after some brilliant solo work to get into the box and get a shot away.
Spireites XI: Boot, Sheckleford (Donacien 75’), Palmer, Grimes ©, Sparkes (Gordon 90+3’), Oldaker (Fleck 75’), Naylor, Banks (Duffy 79’), Mandeville, Dobra (Colclough 90+3’), Pepple.
Unused subs: Thompson, Olakigbe.
Attendance: 7,692 (275 away)
