Fantastic five for Chesterfield in entertaining EFL Trophy tussle with Manchester City U21s

Strikes from Joel Randall, Fraser Bryden, Chey Dunkley, Junior Eccleston and Louie Marsh completed a 5-3 win in a very watchable contest at the SMH Group Stadium.

The starting XI for the Group D opener was completely different to the one which won at Oldham on Saturday and a few of them, not least Chelsea loanee Kiano Dyer and Junior Eccleston, gave manager Paul Cook food for thought over future selections.

Academy product, goalkeeper James Sissons, made his first team debut and there were first starts for of the season for Eccleston, Dunkley, Tom Pearce, Dyer, Rafiq Lampey, Randall, Tom Naylor and Danny Anisjko.

The substitutes’ bench included young Alex Whitney and Connor Cook, son of manager Paul.

Chesterfield drew first blood on 16 minutes, Naylor’s cut-back from the byline presenting a simple side-footed finish for Bolton Wanderers loanee Randall from a similar distance to his late equaliser against Barnet a fortnight ago.

There was a touch of top-flight quality about City’s equaliser four minutes later, crisp, quick passing ending with Xavier Parker whipping the ball past Sissons from close range.

Spireties matched that with another slice of quality soon afterwards to re-take the lead.

The lively Dyer and Naylor worked Eccleston free down the right and his centre dropped to Bryden to hook the ball over the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net.

The game was open and entertaining for the sparse crowd.

Bryder fizzed another effort just wide but some shaking defending at the other end then invited another equaliser, despatched with some nifty footwork from close in by Teddie Lamb seven minutes before the break.

Dyer showed some lovely touches in midfield and forced a finger-tip save before the half-time blew on a lively half.

Marsh was introduced at half time and had an immediate impact.

He swung in a corner and Dunkley thumped home a header to put Chesterfield in front for a third time.

Cook jnr was introduced to the action for the last 15 minutes and he’d no sooner entered the fray than Eccleston capped a good shift by bundling in at the far post to make it 4-2.

Helped by a couple of decent stops from Sissons, Chesterfield defended their lead diligently and added to it in stoppage time when Marsh mopped up a chance close in before Jacob Wain broke away to net a late consolation for the visitors.

Chesterfield (4-2-3-1): Sissons; Eccleston (Hutton 79), Pond, Dunkley, Pearce (Whitney 46); Naylor (Cook 75), Dyer; Lamptey, Randall (Marsh 46), Anisjko (Gordon 84); Bryden

Subs not used: Gordon, Markanday, Koroma

Manchester City U21s (4-3-3): Chabot; Feuba, Noble, Courtman (Harper 84), Wain; Gorman (Oliver 74), Fapetu (Miles 74), Parker; Midwood (Dunbar-McDonald 62), Lamb (Tevanan 84), Henderson-Hall

Subs: Hudson, Parker, Barrett, Oliver, Dunbar-McDonald, Tevenan, Miles

Referee: Aaron Bannister

Attendance: 1,469