MATCH REPORT: Chesterfield FC 1-0 Torquay United - Spireites claim first win of the season at 11th attempt

Scott Boden’s 12th minute strike was enough for the Spireites to claim their first three points of the campaign to lift them off the bottom of the National League.

It was Town’s first clean sheet of the season in what was a much-improved performance from John Sheridan’s men.

Although Sheridan said before the game that he felt ‘no pressure whatsoever’ despite Chesterfield’s poor start to the season, he will definitely be relieved to get the win.

The Spireites were the only team in the division not to have won a match before today’s result.

Sheridan opted to make three changes to the team that lost 2-1 at Bromley Saturday.

Striker Tom Denton made his first start of the season after recovering from a knee injury.

Haydn Hollis and Joe Rowley also came in.

There was no place in the line-up or the squad for the injured Anthony Gerrard while Jermaine McGlashan and Mike Fondop, who had scored five goals in six games prior to today, dropped to the bench.

RELATED CONTENT: Reflect on all the action as it happened between Chesterfield FC v Torquay United in today’s running blogIn the opening exchanges Boden nodded wide from six yards when the away side failed to clear a Laurence Maguire cross and then the visitors created a superb chance of their own but Manny Duku fired wide when well positioned in the box.

After a fairly lively start, Boden got the opener for Chesterfield after 12 minutes, his fifth goal of the season.

The striker latched onto a hooked ball over the top by Curtis Weston and beat the offside trap to fire low into the net from inside the area.

The Spireites almost doubled their lead minutes later but Denton’s looping header was cleared off the line.

Town were playing with more confidence than in previous weeks and looked threatening on the counter-attack.

Curtis Weston broke up a number of Torquay attacks while Boden and Denton linked-up well several times.

Liam Mandeville brought an excellent save out of Torquay goalkeeper Cavagnari on 40 minutes with a lovely curling effort from just inside the area.

Town were clapped off at the break as they deservedly led at half-time.

It was a relatively quiet first 15 minutes of the second half with the Gulls creating very little of note while Chesterfield won themselves a couple of corners as they went in search of that all important second goal.

Given Chesterfield’s run of 10 matches without a win this season, nerves began to creep into their performance and the home faithful started to get a little edgy.

RELATED CONTENT: “We have hit the canvas and now we need to come back fighting,” says Chesterfield striker Scott BodenSheridan made two substitutes in three minutes with Denton and Mandeville replaced by Robbie Weir and Fondop.

Will Evans produced a heroic last-ditch tackle in injury time when Torquay were through on goal.

In the end, the Spireites saw out the last moments pretty well to record their first win, much to the delight of the home supporters.

Chesterfield (3-5-2): Coddington, Smith, Yarney, Evans (c), Hollis, Maguire; Rowley, Weston, Mandeville (Weir, 70); Denton (Fondop, 73), Boden (McGlashan, 94). Subs: Jalal, Weir, McGlashan, Sheridan, Fondop.

Torquay United: Cavagnari, Wytner, Davis, Cameron, Duku (Koszela, 78) Vincent, Dickson (Buse, 54), Reid, Kalala, Cundy, Whitfield. Subs: MacDonald, Lewis, Buse, Slough, Koszela.

Referee: Martin Woods.

Attendance: 3,706 (304 away).