Chesterfield's youth side head into tomorrow's Midland Youth Cup clash against Burton Albion in positive fashion. Dave Bentley's team came away with a well-earned three points at the weekend when they travelled to Lincoln to face a tough Imps opposition.
Bentley was without several key players and travelled to Lincolnshire with a depleted squad, which resulted in just three substitutes being named.
Despite this, the Spireites got off to a great start and took the lead as early as four minutes when Ellis Wall's cross into the box was met by attacker Jacob Hazel to open the game's scoring, and the striker's for the season.
Ben Watkis had an effort cleared off the line shortly after as the Spireites looked to increase their early lead further, but the home side found a way back into the match on 17 minutes. Gerome Palmer gifted the Imps a chance to level from the penalty spot when the defender was ruled to have committed a foul in the Spireite box.
Lincoln took the opportunity with both hands and converted from the spot to even the match. This goal effected the Spireites' game plan, with Wall and Palmer both making their way into the referee's book.
The home side wasted no time in getting back on the score sheet just minutes after the re-start when Sam West was beat by an Imps midfielder after some questionable play by Lincoln that could have easily seen the goal ruled out when the ball struck the arm of a City player.
However, the Spireites didn't roll over and allow Lincoln to take control of the match and pulled a goal back when Hazel was brought down in the Imps' box to gift Chesterfield a lifeline. Jordan Burrow stepped up to the challenge and set up an exciting last 20 minutes as he fired the ball past the Lincoln number one.
Burrow sealed all three points for the Spireites with just four minutes left on the clock when Matt Needham's through ball found Burrow in a 1-on-1 situation with the goalkeeper, but fortunately for the Blues Burrow kept his head to finish the move off.
Hazel had a chance late on to add another to Chesterfield's tally, but the keeper saved well.
Afterwards manager Dave Bentley said; "Everytime we play Lincoln it seems to become more of a challenge and more of a battle, but I thought the lads stuck to it very well."
Chesterfield (4-4-2): West, Hibbert, Palmer (Dipper 46), Needham, Johnson, Scully, Wall (Wright 70), Watkis, Waddle (McKenzie 65), Burrow, Hazel
Goals: Hazel 4, Burrow 69, 86
The Spireites must continue this momentum when they travel to Burton Albion tomorrow in the first round of the Midland Youth Cup, but Bentley insists it won't be a straight forward game despite the Brewers being on the end of a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Hartlepool United at the weekend; "What I've got to do is the keep the lads feet on the ground and not get carried away with beating Lincoln and thinking that things are going to be easy going there."
Tomorrow's match is a 7:00pm kick off at the Pirelli Stadium.
