Chesterfield concede four times in second-half in heavy defeat to relegation-threatened Tranmere Rovers

The Spireites missed some good chances in the first-half and they paid the price when they conceded two goals in nine minutes after the break from Cameron Norman and Regan Hendry before substitute Josh Davison added a late third and Sam Finley grabbed a fourth as the Blues totally collapsed as they fell to their first defeat in seven.

Town, who will have to improve massively all over the pitch if they are to keep their promotion hopes alive, finished the day still 10th but fell seven points off the top seven. The victory boosts Tranmere’s hopes of avoiding the drop.

There were two changes from the win against Carlisle United with Tom Naylor and Bim Pepple replacing John Fleck and Will Grigg, who dropped to the bench, with Paul Cook saying their minutes need to be managed after just returning from injury. Kyle McFadzean was back involved after two months out injured. There was no place for Darren Oldaker or Ryan Colclough in the squad.

Chesterfield should have been in front at half-time with the chances they had created with Liam Mandeville forcing a save from Luke McGee after meeting Michael Olakigbe’s cross at the back post. And later on Ollie Banks, playing against his old club, had a one-on-one blocked by McGee after some slick play opened up the home side. Olakigbe then fluffed his lines from the rebound when it looked easier to score.

Defensively, the Spireites had not really been in any danger. Tranmere had got into the Blues’ box on occasions but their crosses were cut out and they failed to have a shot on target.

But the home side, who went more direct, scored with their first attempt on target in the first minute of the second-half when Norman drilled in after Ryan Boot’s attempted punched clearance went straight to the defender who finished cleanly.

And they doubled their lead on 54 minutes when Chesterfield could not clear Omari Patrick’s cross from the left and Hendry pounced to rifle in.

Tranmere threatened a third before the visitors responded with a chance of their own but Pepple could not stretch far enough to turn in Mandeville’s low cross.

Cook made four changes with 20 minutes remaining as he tried to get his side back into the game, with Fleck and Grigg among those brought on.

But it was Tranmere who nearly grabbed a third but Ash Palmer did brilliantly to block on the line from former Spireite Kristian Dennis.

Chesterfield did not do enough to test goalkeeper McGee and there were too many sloppy passes and heavy touches as they slipped to their first away defeat in four after Davison raced clear to add a third late on and then Finley added a fourth from a rebound after some more poor defending.

The Spireites need to win their game in hand against Gillingham on Tuesday night to stand any chance of success this season but they won’t make the play-offs playing like this.

Chesterfield: Boot; Mandeville, Palmer, Grimes, Gordon; Naylor (Fleck, 68), Metcalfe (Madden, 75); Banks (Jacobs, 68), Dobra, Olakigbe (Duffy, 68); Pepple (Grigg, 68)

Unused subs: Thompson, McFadzean.