A couple of controversial decisions cost Chesterfield a share of the spoils at Edgar Street, a ground that's never hosted a draw between these two sides.

Rob Page was harshly adjudged to have fouled tricky winger Mark Marshall ahead of Ryan Valentine slotting home the 58th-minute penalty winner while the officials denied sub Scott Boden what looked a perfectly good equaliser a few minutes from time.

Boden was first to react to a fine block by keeper Adam Bartlett who denied Mark Allott with his save but Jack Lester's replacement was adjudged to have been offside when he headed home. Video evidence seems to indicate the linesman got it wrong.

Between those decisions that both went in Hereford's favour, Page seemed to be struck in the face by Valentine as the scorer reacted to a foul by the ex-Welsh international, who will miss this weekend's match against Burton Albion having picked up his fifth seasonal booking in the penalty incident.

Retaliation

Referee Andy Hall obviously saw something as he booked the Bulls' man for his retaliation, the colour of the card though surprised most onlookers, another decision that favoured the hosts.

Ahead of the spot-kick, David Perkins rattled a 20-yard shot against the bar after an excellent period of passing play by John Sheridan's men, who saw plenty of the ball but were unable to test the keeper on a regular basis with many shots being scuffed or miscued and several others being well off target.

Sheridan stuck to the same 11 and subs that had returned from Bournemouth with a win but the fluency witnessed in the first-half on the South Coast was only rarely in evidence, despite the possession count.

Donal McDermott forced Bartlett into an early block-save and close to the end the Manchester City man fizzed one just wide of the target.

Between those shots he was just unable to get into the sublime form he's been showing in recent weeks.

Drew Talbot was the main miscue culprit. He shinned shots and drilled others into the ground while his attack partner Jack Lester played out possibly his quietest game in Chesterfield's colours with few of his interventions leading to chances; indeed the supreme striker didn't manage a single shot of note himself.

United purred in the opening 20 minutes until Sheridan switched McDermott and Jamie Lowry, bringing the latter onto the same flank as Marshall, a move that quelled the effectiveness of wideman Marshall, who is on-loan from Swindon .

Frenchman Mathieu Manset began strongly on his first- ever start, but having been floored a couple of times by Page, his desire seemed to wane somewhat.

Former Sheffield Wednesday middle man Kenny Lunt prompted his side well alongside Bramley Vale boy Craig King, a Leicester City player, who showed that his home town club missed out on his ample skills.

Tommy Lee was the busier of the two keepers and after some hairy moments at Dean Court, he was back on song, blocking a couple of James Walker close-rangers and denying King with a low save from a long-range shot.

Hereford looked unlikely to score by any route other than a set play and Page's nudge on Marshall – and it looked no harder than any standard aerial challenge in the game – earned John Trewick's men their opportunity.

Despite Lee's best efforts, they took it to end Chesterfield's four-game unbeaten run while extending their own to seven games.

Ian Breckin (cut eye) and Talbot (barged into a wall) took the most visible knocks but both men should be fit for this weekend's game.

Hereford: Bartlett; Lowe, Green, Blanchett, Valentine; Gwynne, King, Lunt, Marshall; Manset, Walker (Sonko 90). Subs (not used): Adamson, Constantine, Rose, Godsmark, Done, McCallum

Chesterfield: Lee; Little, Breckin (Austin 79), Page, Picken; McDermott, Allott, Perkins, Lowry (Bowery 85); Talbot, Lester (Boden 67). Subs (not used): Crossley, Gray, Currie, Niven

Booked: Page, Picken, King, Valentine, Gwynne

Referee: Andy Hall (West Midlands)

Attendance: 2,574 (364 from Chesterfield)