Calverton MW 0 Chesterfield 4
After a mediocre first half display Chesterfield finally found a higher gear late in the second half to secure a comfortable victory on difficult terrain.
Dave Bentley travelled to the Nottinghamshire based outfit with just one injury concern prior to kick off as defender Jake Handbury was ruled out of contention. With only a handful of pre-season matches left before the Youth Alliance League kicks off on August 14th Bentley knew that the performance was key rather than the result.
The young Spireites got off to a slow start with Ben Watkis and Shamus Beaglehole coming closest to causing any real danger for the home side with two distanced chances, although neither of their efforts really tested the Calverton number one.
Second year scholar Gerome Palmer should of done better off a Blue corner on 26, but his unmarked chance beat both the goalkeeper and the crossbar. Although the defender made amends on 33 minutes when Palmer appeared to pluck the ball from the goalkeepers clutches and blast home from close range. Despite Calverton's verbal disagreement with the referee's controversial decision, which included the home side's manager receiving a quite word from the man in black, the goal stood giving the Spireites the lead.
It took all but 35 minutes of the match played for Calverton to find a sighting on goal, but the chance was squandered by the number nine after a neat flick that beat the Chesterfield defence.
The second half started in the stale fashion that the first had but Bentley used this opportunity to introduce some fresh legs into the match and give all his squad some match practice.
With just 15 minutes of the match remaining Chesterfield found the back of the net after Watkis latched onto the end of a poor throw out from the Calverton goalkeeper and proceeded to chip the ball over the stranded keeper to finish with style.
With substitutes continuing to be the only action of the match, the Spireites found the net for the third time five minutes later when a neat Chesterfield move involving winger Jack Waddle was finished from close range by Shaquille Mckenzie.
Despite the Spireites now in full control, the home side had an opportunity to pull a goal back in the 83rd minute, but Sam West, basically a spectator of the match, reacted terrifically at his front post to deny such a chance.
Chesterfield retaliated immediately and finally put the game out of Calverton's reach once and for all as substitute Jacob Hazel's hard work teed up another substitute Will Dennis for a basic tap in as the Spireites ran out comfortable winners.
Chesterfield: West, Edridge, Dickinson, Beaglehole, Palmer, Needham, Wright, Watkis, Burrow, Wall, Waddle
Subs: Hazel, Mckenzie, Dennis, Hibbert, Johnson, Dipper
*All subs were used in a roll on-roll off system*
Match Report: Adam Hulme
Photos: Phil Tooley
