FA CUP REPORT: Chesterfield 0 Wycombe Wanderers 5

The second half sending off of Jon Nolan certainly didn’t help the Spireites, but in truth Wycombe Wanderers were by far and away the better side even without the man advantage.

Their front three caused problems all afternoon for Town with their movement and pace, while Chesterfield struggled to create much to talk about for the entirity of the 90 minutes.

A cup run would have gone some way to plugging gaping holes in the Spireites finances, but perhaps just as alarming as their exit from the competition were the gaps in the stands - just over 3,000 home fans entering the ground.

By full-time the home stands were largely empty, a Scott Kashket hat-trick giving 483 jubilant away supporters plenty to celebrate.

The visitors gained an early opportunity when a Gary Liddle foul affording Joe Jacobson a shot at goal from a 35-yard free-kick, the full-back sending it wide of Ryan Fulton’s right hand post.

Adebayo Akinfenwa posed big questions for the Town defence in the opening minutes, winning a number of flick ons that Chesterfield were able to react to in and around their area.

The Spireites’ first chance also came thanks to their big men, Tom Anderson nodding on a Jay O’Shea free-kick, Ian Evatt unable to trouble Jamal Blackman with his header.

At the other end Akinfenwa made an animated appeal for a penalty when he flicked the ball against Anderson, and seconds later his backheel put Kashket in on goal, the offside flag going up as he drove the ball wide.

Fulton kept the score at 0-0 with a wonderful save to deny Luke O’Nien, palming a curling 25-yard effort round his post.

There was nothing the goalkeeper could do on 21 minutes when Kashket sent in a wicked cross from the right and Paul Hayes’ header found the net via the crossbar to give the Chairboys the lead.

Three minutes later Wycombe must have felt they had one foot in the third round, Chesterfield half clearing a corner, Dominic Gape clipping the ball back into the box where it was knocked down for Kashket to poke under Fulton.

With plan A torn to shreds inside 25 minutes, Danny Wilson went to plan B, throwing Ched Evans on in place of Reece Mitchell in an early tactical switch.

There was little the Welshman could do to drag his side back into it in the remainder of the first half however, Chesterfield simply not good enough in possession to carve open their guests, both Gboly Ariyibi and Gary Liddle guilty of poor final balls when in great crossing positions.

It could have been done and dusted within three minutes of the restart, some lovely one-touch football leaving the hosts chasing shadows as Matthew Bloomfield played in Hayes and he failed to find the target from the edge of the box.

Jacobson was getting closer with his direct free-kicks, sending a second one off target but not by much this time.

Evans got his first sight of goal on the hour mark, taking a pass from Dion Donohue, cutting onto his right foot and shooting low, Blackman more than equal to it.

Chesterfield’s task became mission impossible on 64 minutes when Nolan went flying into a tackle on Gape and missed the ball entirely, referee Michael Salisbury having no hesitation in brandishing his red card.

And the cup nightmare was complete with 20 minutes remaining when a ball was passed right through the middle of the Town defence and Kashket scampered clear to stroke past Fulton for a 3-0 lead.

The League Two men were threatening to run riot and Fulton had to be at his best twice in quick succession, first saving at the back post to deny Kashket a hat-trick following a lovely Wycombe move, and then he beat Hayes’ low drive away.

But when the resulting corner came in, the goalkeeper came out to collect, dropped it and Anthony Stewart had the simplest task to half volley into an empty net.

And two minutes later the humiliation was complete, Kashket jumping with last minute Liddle, both men falling to the ground - the striker the first to spring to his feet, take the ball into the box and finish coolly for his hat-trick.

Chestefield: Fulton, Liddle, Donohue, Evatt, Anderson, O’Neill, Nolan, Ariyibi, Mitchell (Evans 32), O’Shea, Beesley (Dennis 60). Subs: Allinson, Gardner, Dimaio, Simons, Maguire.

Wycombe: Blackman, Harriman, Jacobson, Stewart, Pierre, Gape (Bean), O’Nien, Bloomfield (Wood), Hayes, Akinfenwa, Kashket (Cowan-Hall 81). Subs: Richardson, Jombati, Thompson, De Havilland.

Goalscorers: Hayes 21, Kashket 24, 70, 77, Stewart 75

Yellows: Gape 40, Akinfenwa 98

Red: 64

Referee: Mr Michael Salibsury. Assistants: Mr Robert Massey-Ellis, Ms Lisa Rashid.

Attendance: Attendance is 3,685 (483 away)