Derby County emerged victorious in the first match played at the b2net despite a late recovery by the hosts. This open game was a far cry from the 0-0 draw that greeted the start of life at the Recreation Ground 139 years ago, although it'd be an optimistic man who expected nine goals every week!

Manager John Sheridan included all the summer's signings in his staring eleven. A place was found at for triallist Jack Hunt, the Huddersfield Town right-back, and Forest goalkeeper Shane Redmond was named among the eleven substitutes.After a friendly appearance at Matlock last night, Derby County named what looked like a close-to-full-strength line-up. The teams were:

Chesterfield

Lee

Hunt, Breckin, Ford, Morris

Talbot, Allott, Mattis, Whitaker

Lester, Davies.

Substitutes: Redmond, Page, Timmins, Bowery, Boden, Gray, Niven, Clay, Darikwa, Adcock, Granger.

Derby County

Bywater

Brayford, Hulse, Anderson, Roberts

Doyle, Green, Savage (c), Bailey

Commons, Porter.

Substitutes: Pringle, Deeney, Cywka, Moxey, Martin, Varney, O'Brien.

Derby kicked off towards the Chesterfield supporters in the Karen Child Stand. Davies was a lively presence from the start and Savage had to dive and handle the ball to stop Davies breaking through down the right on 3. Whitaker played the free kick left to Allot, whose shot from the edge of the box was blocked. At the other end, a Hunt block prevented County from registering the stadium's first goal.

Craig Davies endeared himself to the home fans with his willingness to work hard, chasing down an apparent lost cause on 5. Talbot tried to chip Bywater on 7 but the Derby keeper held the ball without fuss.

Chesterfield won the game's first corner on 9 after Lester threatened the Derby goal. It was played short ot Allott, whose shot was blocked for another corner. County failed to clear this conclusively, and Whitaker's shot was held by Bywater.

Green shot over after Breckin intervened to prevent Hulse from breaking on 11. Lester tested Bywater from 20 yards on 12; the ball was cleared into the Chesterfield half but was quickly returned long towards CRAIG DAVIES, who controlled some eight yards out to shoot across Bywater and into the net for the match's - and the stadium's - first goal.

County tried a quick reply but Brayford was penalised for pushing Breckin at a corner. Commons came into the game, shooting wide from the edge of the box on 17, working a corner on 21 that was cleared in measured fashion by Whitaker, and finally netting a close-range equaliser on 23 after Green and Porter had wrestled for control in the box.

Chesterfield regained the lead two minutes later with a powerful header from eight yards out by SIMON FORD, from a corner. Commons again looked dangerous in reply, putting in a powerful run down the Rams' right, and a cross that Savage could not quite meet on the slide.

Chesterfield increased their lead on 33 when Davies and Whitaker combined to set up MARK ALLOTT to crash a thirty-yard shot home. Two minutes later, it was 3-2, when Doyle was in the right place to hook home a ball that deflected off a Chesterfield wall at a free kick.

Halftime: 3-2. Attendance: 6,833 (subsequently revised to 7,550 when all turnstiles and hospitality areas checked)

Unusually for a friendly, neither side made a change at halftime, which perhaps indicates that the exciting first half had given the game a bit more of an "edge." Within four minutes of the restart Derby were level. Talbot remained down, injured by the Derby goal-line after a Chesterfield move ended; Derby broke quickly and Porter was first to the ball in the Chesterfield area to fire home from around twelve yards.

The game looked like swinging back to the Spireites two minutes after that, when Roberts was judged to have handled as a Talbot centre crossed the box. Davies stepped up but shot fairly tamely too close to Bywater, who saved the spot kick.

Chesterfield replaced Breckin with Page and Hunt with Niven on 54. More substitutions followed; The Rams swapped Cywka for Doyle on 57, while the triallist keeper Shane Redmond came on for Tommy Lee a minute later. Two minutes after that, Gray, Clay and Boden replaced Allott, Mattis and Lester.

Redmond pulled off a fine save on 62, going down fast to his left to turn away Green's close-range diving header. From the corner, though, County took the lead for the first time, when Brayford was left unattended to head the cross home.

Moxey replaced Hulse on 63 and Page's trip on the impressive Green as he ran through the box presented Derby with a chance for a fifth, which Commons accepted by sending Redmond the wrong way.

Three more County subs were followed by three Chesterfield ones. Martin, Varney and O'Brien came on for Anderson, Porter and Commons after 70, while Whitaker, Davies and Talbot gave way to Timmins, Bowery and Darikwa.

DEREK NIVEN was the last man to score into the Recreation Ground Kop end, and it was fitting that he should be the first Chesterfield player to stick one into the Kop end at the new place, on 87. He shot from nothing, from a distance of around 30 yards - Bywater could only parry the ball up and over his head, and it bounced over the line and nestled in the net before the keeper could recover. Deeney replaced Green with a couple of minutes left; In a grandstand finish Chesterfield might have had a fifth, but Ford's header crashed back off a post.