Chesterfield suffer third consecutive defeat after conceding in injury-time against Eastleigh

Ousseynous Cisse put the hosts ahead just before half-time with a close-range finish from a free-kick.

The Spireites cancelled it out five minutes after the break, Eastleigh goalkeeper Joe McDonnell turning Liam Mandeville’s near-post cross into his own net.

But Town came undone from another set-piece as Brennan Camp headed in Ryan Hill’s corner in the first minute of seven added on in the second-half to pinch the points.

A draw would have been a fair result but the loss means the Blues drop to fourth in the table and are now six points behind leaders Notts County.

After back-to-back home defeats going into this one, this late heartbreak caps a rotten week for Chesterfield.

There were six changes for the Spireites as Ross Fitzsimons, Joe Cook, Tim Akinola, George Cooper, Akwasi Asante and Kabongo Tshimanga came in for Lucas Covolan, Tyrone Williams, Darren Oldaker, Jack Clarke, Jesurun Uchegbulam and Joe Quigley.

Covolan, Clarke and Miller all missed out due to injury. There was a debut for Cook, while Akinola and Cooper made their first starts for the club, and Tshimanga was handed his first start of the season.

Former Town midfielder Charlie Carter started for the hosts.

Chesterfield had a good record at the Silverlake Stadium – winning here in all of the last three seasons without conceding a goal – but they did this time.

The hosts had come the closest to opening the scoring before Cisse’s finish, Carter crashing a header against the crossbar from a corner.

The goal just before half-time was a kick in the stomach because in general it had been a decent first 45 minutes for the Spireites with chances for Tshimanga, Cooper and Mandeville, the latter being the best of the lot but he was denied by McDonnell.

Town had been guilty of giving away cheap possession in the Eastleigh half, something boss Cook had called for them to improve on ahead of this clash, and the home side countered with Tristan Abrahams giving Jamie Grimes a tough afternoon with runs in behind him.

The positives were that debutant Cook had shown tremendous calmness on the ball and he made a few vital headers and blocks, while Akinola had been neat and tidy in possession.

For the opener, Grimes was angry that a free-kick went against him, he himself dropping to the floor after claiming he was shoved, but Michael Kelly’s deep delivery was nodded back acoss by Carter for a simple tap-in for Cisse.

Chesterfield started the second-half on the front-foot and were level within five minutes through Mandeville, his low, drilled cross turned into his own net by McDonnell. Moments before that, McDonnell had tipped wide from Mandeville after he met Cooper’s cross on the volley.

Unfortunately, debutant Cook’s afternoon came to an end on the hour-mark after he limped off with cramp and was replaced by Williams.

More changes followed, with Uchegbulam replacing the quiet Asante, and Quigley coming on for Cooper, who could be happy with his first start.

The substitutions meant a slight tweak in formation as Tshimanga now had a strike partner in Quigley, with Uchegbulam and Mandeville, who was Chesterfield’s best player on the day, bombing on down the wings.

Town thought they had a second goal, but McDonnell redeemed himself for his earlier mistake, making a superb reaction save to tip wide a diving header from Grimes.

The injury to Cook earlier in the half meant there was seven minutes of added time, and Eastleigh’s Camp headed in Hill’s corner in the first 60 seconds.

A painful end to a painful week.