There was a surprise recall for Jamie Lowry to the Chesterfield side that travelled to Boundary Park for the second leg of the Northern Final of the Johnstone's Paints Trophy this evening.

Jamie had spent the last couple of months doing well in Crewe's midfield and it was to that area that he was recalled, as one of two changes to the side that beat AFC Bournemouth last Friday. He replaced Liam Ridehalgh, while Simon Ford came in for Neal Trotman, both replaced players being cup-tied.

The Spireites lined up like this:

Lee

Hurst, Ford, Thompson, Robertson

Talbot, Allott, Davis, Lowry

Lester, Boden

Subs: Fleming, Whitaker, Mendy, Morgan, Bowery

Morais and Taylor paired up to mount the game's first attack down Oldham's right, but the wayward cross perhaps indicated it might be a nervy night. The following three minutes certainly did little to settle the visitors' nerves! Kuqi and Simpson first carved their way through Chesterfield's centre on 3 and the former Wednesday man took the ball back before thundering it against Lee's left-hand post from an angle. A minute later Lee was forced into a terrific point-blank save from a Morais header.

On the counter, Talbot found Davis on 11 and his cross was cut out for a corner. Lowry's neat, low delivery skimmed off a couple of heads on its way across the Oldham area. Oldham returned to the attack through Taylor, whose long shot was comfortably held by Lee.
Again on the counter, Lester's neat pass let Boden measure a cross on 15, but it just eluded Lowry at the back post.

Lester and Boden swapped passes before Jack was brought down on the edge of the area, on 17. Oldham's seven-man wall stopped Robertson's drive.

Oldham won a corner through Morais on 19. The winger's flag kick was blocked by Lester but not really cleared, and Hurst fouled to give Oldham a free kick, and the chance to cross. Morais's delivery eluded everyone and flew out for a goal kick with Simpson agonisingly close to it at the back stick.

Talbot's curling shot on 23 looked bound for the top corner until Cisak reached to save. Mostly, the pressure remained on Chesterfield; Wesolowski won a corner on Chesterfield's left on 24 and M'Voto's header went back across the box but Simpson's attempted overhead was extravagant.

Diamond got free in the Chesterfield box from a long free kick on 32 but could only swish at air. A fierce Boden shot from the edge of the Oldham box on 33 was saved at the second attempt, and Kuqi went forward from the clearance to win another Oldham corner, which was cleared.

Robertson went into the book on 38 for dragging Simpson down near the corner of the box. Kuqi won the far post header but Josh Thompson coolly headed it down before clearing. From the return Taylor's shot screwed harmlessly wide.

A low Lowry cross on 41 was hacked out by Diamond for a Chesterfield corner. Oldham broke from this through Kuqi; Thompson came in to head back to Lee as the Oldham man wrestled with Ford. A Morais shot deflected off Hurst for a corner on the stroke of half time. Lee bravely went at Morais's feet to keep his goal intact.

Halftime: Latics 0 Spireites 0

Oldham replaced Diamond with Tarkowski before the resumption. A good Allott tackle on the edge of his own box nullified the danger after Ford's header fell kindly for Oldham. Lowry's cross found Talbot in space on the penalty spot on 47 but he scuffed his shot a little and Oldham were reprieved..

Wesolowski won a corner off Allott on 50 when the last touch looked to have come off the Oldham man. Lester cleared constructively to Boden but no-one was able to make up the ground to join him before possession returned to the Latics. Taylor's attempted cross flew off Lowry for a corner on 53.M'Voto was prevented from a clear sight of it by Robertson after Kuqi had blocked Lee.

Morais' first time shot on 56 forced Lee to go down to collect, and Adeyemi wasted an unmarked opportunity by heading over a minute later. Hurst was yellow-carded for a check on Simpson on the edge of the box on 61. Mark Allott was booked for taking too long in organising the Chesterfield wall; from the free kick the Oldham man found only the last man in that wall, and the danger was cleared momentarily.

Ford was penalised for a handball on 67 to give the Latics another free kick from close range. Morais took this one and curled it just over the centre of Tommy Lee's crossbar. While Chesterfield were keeping Oldham out, they couldn't make the ball stick up front, so it seemed to be largely one-way traffic towards the resolute Tommy Lee. Simpson was booked for dissent on 68 after seeing a throw given against him.

Marsh-Brown came on for Morais after 70 minutes. Allott brought Adeyemi down on halfway and was lucky to avoid a second yellow; in the event Davis received one for a foul one step earlier in the Oldham move.

Talbot forced a rare corner off Wesolowski on 79. Before it was taken, Chesterfield brought Morgan on for Boden. Once it had been successfully defended, Smith came on for Wesolowski.

Careless play on the Chesterfield left led to a corner on 81. Lee claimed the ball from the flag kick with a determination that brought a moment of relief.

Kuqi forced Lee into a good save with a diving header on 84. Marsh-Brown's shot from the clearance was charged down. Allott turned his back on a cross as it appeared to hit him on the arm in the penalty area.

With three minutes left the ball was pumped forward deep into the Oldham half. M'Voto and Cisak both approached the ball then froze, on the edge of the box. It struck M'Voto and fell kindly for JACK LESTER to bundle the ball home!

Still, Chesterfield were forced to defend. Thompson got a block onto a Simpson shot as the fourth official found six added minutes from somewhere. A speculative cross from a free kick was headed behind by Hurst, for an Oldham corner. Lee's cry of "Keeper!" was heard in a quietened stadium as he came to claim the cross.

Chesterfield brought Bowery on for Lester with two minutes of injury time left. Morgan ate time up well by keeping the ball in the corners. A late Oldham free kick was blocked away for a throw in as the life finally seemed to ooze out of this spirited and hardworking Latics side. As Tommy Lee said afterwards, "We came with a game plan, and stuck to it," but it is unlikely that the game plan included an 87th minute winner!