Lee Richardson again named an unchanged side and the team played as a solid, settled unit throughout. While fast-paced, much of the first half hour was scrappy, as both sides fought to impose themselves on the other. Jack Lester very nearly gave the home side the lead on two minutes, carrying a through ball to the edge of the Lincoln box, but Beevers was able to do enough to force the danger man to shoot over.

Ben Wright replaced Lenell John-Lewis on eight minutes, after the Lincoln man had gone down off the ball, and with no-one else near him. Phil Picken's cross on 16 was blocked for the game's first corner as Chesterfield began to assert themselves. From the clearance Dowson cleverly took the ball back along the goal line and worked it to Jamie Winter, who took it forward and shot through a ruck, forcing Marriott to save to his right.

By the time half an hour had passed, Chesterfield had won the right to play. Great defensive work by Kerry left N'Guessan sprawled on the floor, but Kerry was thinking of the next move and found Winter; his ball to Lester was good, and allowed Jack to cut in and shoot, but Hone threw his body in the way of the goalbound effort.

Another fine Kerry tackle broke up a Lincoln move and simultaneously started a Chesterfield one, as the ball came to Dowson from it. He kept the ball in on the right and crossed towards Leven but Hone again got in the way. Lowry forced through the middle and found Lester, one on one on the keeper. Jack remained composed but his shot was well saved by Marriott.

Chesterfield took a lead that their play deserved, on 39. The ball was sent in from the right and Lincoln failed to get it away from a ruck of players near the penalty spot. KERRY picked it up and took it a couple of yards wide, to his right, before cracking a fine shot home from around twelve yards.

Two minutes later Leven tried to extend the lead with a shot from a tight angle, but it flew over and out. On the stroke of halftime Lowry again powered through the middle and found Lester; he appeared to be pulled over just outside the box, but no free kick was awarded.

Half time: Spireites 1, Imps 0.

Three minutes into the second half Leven burst into the Lincoln box and was tugged back; he fell, but again no foul was seen by the referee. Chesterfield were clearly on top and would not be denied, though; a fine Hartley pass allowed LESTER to run into the left-hand side of the box on 52. He took it past a challenge and it seemed to run away from him, momentarily; he kept going as others stopped, though, and cracked a fine shot past Marriott from 12 yards to extend Chesterfield's lead.

Lincoln were back in it on 58, when Chesterfield's defence was breached for the first time in 283 minutes, and it was an unfortunate goal to concede. A cross from the impressive Dodds was left at the last minute by Kerry, central, on the edge of the six-yard box. Kovacs, standing with him, didn't expect this, and he let the ball run to Wright, who tapped it home from two yards with Roche a spectator.

Earlier this season the side might have folded at this point, but this Chesterfield team has a determined edge to it now, and it responded in the best possible fashion a minute later. Hartley found Lester on the edge of the box; as the defence was drawn to him he backheeled the ball to LEVEN, who rifled it home from 16 yards to restore the two-goal cushion.

Lincoln had little left to show now. With Chesterfield in command Lee Richardson replaced Lester and Dowson with Fletcher and Ward, perhaps with an eye on Monday's game, although the substitutions also gave the two replacements a welcome 25 minutes of match action.

Chesterfield sealed the win on 80 minutes. Ward was sent away by a through ball but Beevers found the pace to force him wide; Marriott forced him wider but Ward was able to thread a cross through to KERRY, who tapped it home from a couple of yards.

Having shaken off an earlier knock Peter Hartley fired a yard or two over from 35 yards. Cooper came on for the hard-working Leven with three minutes left, and the home side saw out the closing minutes in comfort.