Chesterfield cut gap to play-offs with comfortable win against Fleetwood Town

All the goals came in the second-half, with Ryan Colclough opening the scoring on 55 minutes when he cut in off the left flank and curled home into the far corner. Ash Palmer doubled the lead 14 minutes later when he headed his first of the season from Liam Mandeville’s free-kick. And substitute Padden Madden added a third against one of his old clubs when he turned in Bim Pepple’s cross on 78 minutes.

The result means the Blues climb to ninth in the table and they cut the gap to the play-offs to four point with four games remaining after seventh-placed Grimsby Town threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Harrogate Town.

But Chesterfield may have to play the remainder of the season without Armando Dobra who hobbled off after half an hour with what looked like a groin injury.

The hosts controlled the first-half and did not look in any danger of conceding but it was goalless at the break.

The Spireites racked up five corners in the first 10 minutes as they started on the front-foot. Their best chance came when Jenson Metcalfe delivered a teasing cross to the far post and Kyle McFadzean knocked it back across the six-yard box where Will Grigg was lurking but the danger was cleared.

Next, John Fleck picked out the lively Michael Olakigbe with a wonderful switch of play and the winger drove inside before curling narrowly wide. Unfortunately, the hosts lost Dobra to injury after half an hour and he was replaced by Ollie Banks.

There was a lull in the game after that but Metcalfe tried his luck from distance and his effort whistled wide as the two sides could not be separated in the first 45 minutes.

Chesterfield took the lead on 55 minutes when Colclough cut inside off the left wing, drove into the box and curled a shot into the far corner.

And they should have doubled their advantage soon after when Olakigbe slipped Grigg in one-on-one but the striker prodded wide.

But they did grab a second with less than 20 minutes remaining when Mandeville’s free-kick was headed in by Palmer for his first goal of the season.

And substitutes Pepple and Madden combined with 12 minutes to go, with the latter finishing high into the net with a first-time effort.

The Spireites have struggled to break teams down at home this season but they did not have any problems here. Their hopes of getting into the play-offs remain slim but not mathematically impossible ahead of the Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holiday double.

Chesterfield: Boot; Mandeville, Palmer, McFadzean, Gordon; Metcalfe (Naylor, 74), Fleck (Madden, 74); Olakigbe, Dobra (Banks, 31), Colclough (Duffy, 68); Grigg (Pepple, 68).

Unused subs: Thompson, Grimes.