Chesterfield rue soft goals and missed chances in defeat at Solihull Moors - how

The Moors scored twice in four minutes in the first-half through Mark Beck and Callum Maycock, both of which will be deemed soft goals to concede from a Spireites point of view.

Town’s pressure was relentless in the second-half as they hit the post twice and were denied by a string of saves and last-ditch blocks but they could not find a breakthrough. This was the first time they failed to score this season.

Captain Jamie Grimes was sent off in added-time for an off-the-ball incident.

It means the Blues’ lead at the top of the table is cut to seven points but they still have two games in hand.

There were four changes to the Chesterfield starting line-up from the win against Aldershot Town. Jeff King started his first league game since October 7. Liam Mandeville returned from illness, while Mike Jones and Ollie Banks also came in. Out went Ryheem Sheckleford, Darren Oldaker, who was not in the squad at all, and Michael Jacobs and Armando Dobra.

Chesterfield were in control in the first 10 minutes and they went close when Banks met Miguel Freckleton’s low cross but it was deflected wide for a corner.

Ryan Colclough was the Spireites’ most threatening player in the first-half and he had two bites of the cherry inside the area as the visitors racked up the corner count.

But Town then conceded twice in four minutes to leave themselves with an uphill task. For the first goal they got themselves into a mess trying to play out from the back and a rare mistake from Jones ended in Beck poking home on 11 minutes. And Moors had a second soon after when an unmarked Maycock finished from close-range.

The Blues were looking vulnerable defensively, and it was Solihull who threatened a third, before the away side regained control again.

As the half went on, King threatened with a volley, Will Grigg had a goal ruled out for offside which looked a tight call, and Tom Naylor guided a header on target but Chesterfield could not find the breakthrough before half-time.

Chesterfield started the second-half on the front-foot, winning two early corners, and there was also a good chance for Grigg but he couldn’t quite steer in Banks’ low delivery.

Soon after, there was another big opportunity, this time for Miguel Freckleton, but he hooked a volley wide from six-yards out.

The pressure kept on coming, Grigg had a goal-bound shot superbly blocked, before goalkeeper Nick Hayes denied Jones with a brilliant save down to his right.

All the momentum was with Chesterfield and King saw a volley at the back post blocked by Kade Craig. And then King had what looked like a strong penalty shout rejected, before Grigg then went close again.

The Spireites kept peppering the Solihull goal and Colclough struck a post with 18 minutes remaining as both Armando Dobra and Michael Jacobs were brought on.

And it was Jacobs who went closest next when he hit the post from inside the area and then Freckleton volleyed the rebound.

And the Dobra had a close-range header blocked on the line late on before Grimes was given his marching orders during added-time.

Chesterfield did everything right but score but it was just one of those days in front of goal.

These two sides will battle it out again next week on New Year’s Day at the SMH Group Stadium.

Chesterfield: Tyrer; King, Palmer, Grimes, Freckleton; Jones (Dobra, 70), Naylor; Mandeville (Jacobs, 70), Banks, Colclough (Berry, 80); Grigg.

Unused subs: Sheckleford, Quigley.