Injury-blighted Chesterfield miss chance to go second after defeat at Fleetwood Town - report

The Spireites, missing 14 players, had won three on the bounce in the league but Matty Virtue’s 28th minute goal and a late strike from Kian Harratt meant they fell to their first loss in five in all competitions.

Had they won the Blues would have gone second in the League Two table but they remain sixth after 22 matches.

With their injury-ravaged squad completely stretched and no players expected back over the busy festive period this game highlighted the need to get reinforcements in during the January transfer window.

Their injury woes show no signs of letting up as they were without both Ryan Colclough and Will Grigg, taking the number of players unavailable to 14. That meant that 16-year-old striker Gunner Elliott was named on the bench and he made his senior debut in the last five minutes.

Fleetwood went into the clash having replaced sacked manager Charlie Adam with former Halifax boss Pete Wild, who took up a watching brief at Highbury Stadium and was introduced to the home faithful before kick-off.

The Spireites were comfortable in the first-half and largely controlled the game but they trailed at the break after conceding a soft goal.

They had an early shout for a penalty with Kane Drummond claiming his shirt was pulled in the box but referee Benjamin Speedie was unmoved.

James Berry had Town’s first shot on target when he tried one of his trademark curling finishes but man of the match goalkeeper David Harrington was behind it.

The Blues continued to dictate play at the midway point of the half but they fell behind on 28 minutes when some sloppy defending allowed Virtue to slot in.

The visitors tried to respond and Drummond appealed for a penalty again, claiming he was shoved in the back, a decision which frustrated boss Paul Cook on the touchline.

Chesterfield then went close three times as Harrington parried from Liam Mandeville, Drummond and then Dilan Markanday in quick succession. Moments later, he denied Mandeville again as the away side went down the tunnel frustrated at half-time.

Fleetwood’s pressing from the front was more notable at the start of the second-half, but it was Chesterfield who threatened when Markanday flashed a dangerous cross across the six-yard box.

After a scrappy 20 minutes, the game opened up with Markanday having an effort blocked and then Max Thompson was forced into some late reflexes to stop a cross drifting all the way in.

Jamie Grimes thought he had equalised when he headed into the net from Berry’s free-kick but the offside flag was up.

The action continued and Fleetwood’s top performer Harrington had to come off injured following an earlier collision with Drummond and he could not continue.

Cook made four changes in the latter stages, including bringing on academy prospect Elliott, as they chased a leveller but the game was taken away from them late on when Harratt fired high into the net from a tight angle.

Town kept plugging away and Connor Cook’s cross hit the post and then Armando Dobra’s rebound was superbly saved by substitute keeper Jay Lynch during stoppage time.

Chesterfield’s stretched squad will have to go again in three days when they travel to Bradford City on Sunday.

Chesterfield: Thompson; Sheckleford, Naylor, Grimes, Araujo (Horton, 86); Banks (Oldaker, 85); Markanday (Cook, 91), Mandeville, Dobra, Berry (Hobson, 85); Drummond (Elliott, 85)

Unused subs: Boot, Jessop.