The Spireites slipped to a 2-1 defeat at home to MK Dons on New Year’s Day.
Goals from Callum Hendry and Joe White secured victory for the visitors. Darren Oldaker’s second-half free kick gave some hope for the Spireites, who were unable to find an equaliser.
Paul Cook made two changes to the starting XI that narrowly lost 2-1 at Bradford as Harvey Araujo and Ollie Banks made way for Branden Horton and Darren Oldaker; James Berry, Ryan Colclough and John Fleck returned to the bench after injury and Tim Akinola returned to the squad after his loan spell at Dagenham and Redbridge.
Liam Mandeville put Dilan Markanday through on goal, who then proceeded to cut in on to his left foot and bent an effort goalwards until Tom McGill tipped the ball around a post, just seven minutes into the game.
Another chance went abegging for the Spireites in the 12th minute as Bailey Hobson’s left-footed strike from a tight angle took a big deflection off of defender Luke Offord which wrong-footed McGill in goal and narrowly went the wrong side of the near post.
MK Dons took the lead against the run of play in the 18th minute through Hendry as a free kick, conceded by Armando Dobra, was taken quickly through to Hendry who cut inside of Horton and fired past Max Thompson.
Ellis Harrison forced an acrobatic save out of Thompson, soon after taking the lead, as he was sent through on goal, with a hint of offside, but could not take the opportunity with his strike towards the near post.
The Spireites grew back into the game following Harrison’s chance and almost found a leveller in the 35th minute through Tom Naylor who struck first time from the edge of the area, forcing a diving save from McGill.
With five minutes of the first half to play, MK Dons could have doubled their advantage through Joe Tomlinson who snatched at Aaron Nemane’s cross, sending the shot well over the crossbar.
MK Dons’ lead was doubled just before the break through White after his snapshot from the edge of the box found the bottom right corner, leaving Thompson rooted to the spot.
Thompson denied Hendry from scoring a brace for himself and adding a third goal for the Dons with an outstretched leg following a ball across the box in the 54th minute.
Markanday came within inches of pulling a goal back for the Spireites after cutting in from the right flank onto his left foot, at the edge of the box, before striking a shot which looked destined to find the top-left corner, but instead it went just over.
Minutes later, Markanday was involved in the action again. He cut in from the right yet again, this time inside the box, attempting to squeeze a shot in at the far post, but it just evaded McGill’s goal.
The Spireites eventually found a breakthrough, in the 75th minute, via a superb Oldaker free kick, following a foul on Dobra on the edge of the box.
Substitute Akinola almost rounded off his return from his loan spell in perfect style, in the 90th minute, playing a one-two on the edge of the box before striking first-time and his effort curled past the far post.
A goal-mouth scramble in stoppage time almost gave the Spireites a leveller. There were multiple bodies involved, from both sides, with referee Elliott Bell ruling that the ball had not crossed the line.
The Spireites will look to return to winning ways next time out against Gillingham on Sunday at the SMH Group Stadium.
Spireites: Thompson, Sheckleford, Horton (Akinola 84’), Naylor, Grimes ©, Mandeville, Oldaker, Hobson, Dobra, Markanday, Drummond (Colclough 65’).
Unused subs: Boot, Araujo, Fleck, Berry, Cook.
Attendance: 9,119 (581 away)
