Spireites survive a late scare

CHESTERFIELD.2 EXETER CITY..1

Report by Mark Tattersall


SEVEN minutes to go. Chesterfield are battling like fury to protect a 2-1 lead over the Fourth Division leaders, when disaster strikes. Exeter full-back Richard Dryden crosses from the left but Andy Morris launches into a sliding tackle which blocks the ball. Amazingly, referee Alan Wilkie orders a penalty. His linesman, with a full view of the incident, made no signal but Wilkie, some way away. indicated hand ball. Even if it did strike Morris's hand or arm, which is by no means certain, he was barely two yards in front of Dryden and could hardly have avoided it. Chesterfield went bananas. They could see 83 minutes of immensely hard work disappearing down the drain. Then justice was done. Paul Batty had taken over penalty-taking duties from the League's leading scorer Darran Rowbotham, out through injury, and had scored one on Saturday. The former Chesterfield player again drove a fierce spot kick to the keeper's right but this time Mick Leonard pulled off a stunning diving save. He had been protestor-in-chief and his gestures now were entirely understandable. It was the most dramatic moment of a highly charged match that took Chesterfield to within four points of the top of the Fourth Division. Exeter's away form, losing ten out of 16 before last night, had offered Chesterfield considerable hope but they went behind after 22 minutes to a superb goal. Ben Rowe,(photo) in for Rowbotham and starting a match for the first time, shrugged off Bryn Gunn, swayed round Tony Brien and blasted a ferocious left-footed shot past the helpless Leonard. Chesterfield had the perfect riposte. Within three minutes they were level as Morris headed down Nigel Hart's free-kick for Dave Waller to pop and score with an emphatic header, happily a few inches lower than an earlier effort that had struck the crossbar. The Spireites needed a re- shuffle when Tony Brien was forced out of the game at half-time but Hart moved across from left-back without fuss: one of the advantages of a back four composed entirely of centre- backs. Adrian Shaw slotted in at left-back and he began the move that put Chesterfield ahead with 58 minutes gone. He swung a high ball out to the right. Waller won it and accepted a return pass from Jamie Hewitt before driving the ball to the far post where Bob Bloomer arrived to score his first goal of the season. From then on it was defend, defend, defend and even a crazy penalty decision could not stop the Spireites.

CHESTERFIELD:
Leonard: Rogers. Hart, Dyche, Brien (Shaw, 45). Gunn. Plummer, Hewitt, Waller, Bloomer. Morris. Other sub: Rolph.

EXETER CITY:
Miller: Hiley. Dryden, McNichol. Taylor, McPherson, Rowe Bailey. Young. Neville, Batty. Subs: Frankland. Cooper.