Chesterfield brought in loan signing Jamie McMaster, but fellow loanee Carlos Logan had to be content with a place on the bench. Steve Blatherwick and Shane Nicholson returned to the side and Gareth Davies started for the first time since the defeat at Walsall. The Chief was fit enough to earn a recall to the bench.
Line-up:
MUGGLETON
BAILEY BLATHERWICK EVATT NICHOLSON
ALLOTT DAVIES NIVEN HUDSON
DeBOLLA McMASTER
Subs: Richmond (gk), Allison, Logan, Downes, Dawson.
The Spireites opened brightly, kicking into a strong numbingly cold wind, with McMaster and DeBolla linking well for the latter to shoot narrowly wide with just 45 seconds on the clock. A bit of a late challenge on Hudson after 3 minutes left the midfielder needing treatment. McMaster dummied on 5 and the ball ran down the line; the home side seemed content to let it go out but Allott put up a chase and centred, forcing Bedeau into a risky back-pass. At the other end, Blatherwick read Constantine's flick towards Akinfenwa, and cleared up the danger.
Muggleton was forced into a fine save from Akinfenwa after 17 minutes. The resulting corner was headed out and Niven brought the ball away. Akinfenwa gave Torquay the lead on 20 when the wind took Bedeau's cross away from Bailey's head and gave the Torquay man an opportunity to thump the ball passed Muggleton .
Chesterfield won their first corner on 30 but Nicholson's flag kick went straight into the arms of Marriott in the Gulls' goal. A minute later Hudson and Davies worked well to get the ball over and NIVEN, running in from just outside the area, powered a screaming shot into the net for his first of the season and the Spireites' equaliser. Blatherwick won an Allott long throw on 33 and DeBolla went for it; the ball came to Hudson, who shot narrowly wide.
DeBolla forced Marriott to rush out on 37 but the wind prevented the forward from getting off an early shot. The ball went out for a goal kick but the ref saw fit to give us a corner, which Blatherwick flashed across the face of goal with his head, against three big Torquay men. Muggleton pulled off another fine save on 38 to tip over Canoville's effort: Muggs claimed no touch, and the ref agreed initially, but changed his decision to a corner after intervention from the lino. Another Torquay corner followed quickly but the lino helped out with a flag for an infringement. A Russell shot on 40 hit the underside of the bar and crashed down into play before being cleared. Evatt was judged to have given away a free kick in a central position thirty yards out, but Allott went down as the ball came over and the ref gave the free kick to Chesterfield.
DeBolla needed treatment to his ankle on 44. Constantine threatened to weave his way through everyone but Hudson came in with a timely challenge. An Evatt mistake let Akinfenwa through but Muggleton reacted well to cover the danger as the half came to a close.
Halftime: one each.
Within seconds of the restart Niven went down and needed attention from Jamie Hewitt. Hudson passed the time of day with Akinfenwa after he brought Niven to the floor a couple of minutes later. McGlinchey worked the ball into the area but Blatherwick commendably whacked it halfway to Paignton to remove any danger.
Chesterfield took the lead on 49. Bedeau was caught out by a risky Woodman pass across the defence and HUDSON robbed him before looking up and chipping Marriott off the underside of the bar with a perfectly placed shot from 20 yards. Torquay replaced the flagging Abbey with Kuffour after 55 minutes. Evatt met a McMaster corner on 56 but couldn't direct his header goalwards. Russell's powerful shot on 59 was palmed away from the net by Muggleton, at the expense of a corner that Nicholson headed away. Gareth Davies went into the book on the hour for a foul on Bedeau.
Kaffour took the ball up to the area and a free kick was awarded on the side of the box, but Russell's free kick was poor and the danger was cleared. Kaffour got to the byeline again and crossed but Nicholson kept his head and used it to put the ball over for a corner as Bedeau came in. Hudson was having a big game as Torquay pressed: he read the danger well to close down Russell and force a goal kick. McMaster ran into the Torquay half on 68 and looked to take it round Marriott but the keeper recovered to clear the danger.
DeBolla ran the defence down and won a throw deep in Torquay territory; Hudson and DeBolla linked to set up Niven but his shot went wide - still, it relieved the pressure on the visitors' defence for a while at least. Hill managed to head out for a Chesterfield corner when Marriott looked to have things under control, in the 74th minute, but McGlinchey cleared up from the flag kick. Canoville's 75th-minute shot was well struck but Muggleton was equal to it.
Niven was brought down by Hill on 79 to allow Chesterfield some relief, but Bailey's kick went down the line and out before Allott could get there. Bedeau's header on 81 went straight at Muggleton as Hudson informed the bench that he was feeling a strain. Hudson did well, then, to hold up Akinfenwa as he sought to break down the right.
Torquay brought Phillips on for McGlinchey on 83, and Chesterfield replaced Hudson with Allison. McMaster went into the left of midfield. Russell went down in the box, more in hope than expectation, and a couple of shots were charged down, the latter in brave style by Davies. Phillips' shot eventually produced a magnificent save from Muggleton. From the corner Phillips turned it in on the line, after Canoville was given a free header, in the 88th minute. Torquay pressed: Evatt's clearance found a Gulls man and a header came in but a free kick to Chesterfield relieved the danger. The final whistle went with Torquay pressing for a winner.
Having recovered from being a goal down it was disappointing to come away with only a point, although Torquay were never out of the game, and the draw was probably a fair result. The midfield played well: McMaster showed some nice touches before tiring a little but the star in midfield was Hudson, pressing forward and defending in redoubtable fashion.
SB
