MATCH REPORT: Ice cool Boden earns Chesterfield vital win over FC Halifax Town

The striker, making his second debut as a Spireite, won and converted a second half penalty as Town climbed out of the National League relegation zone.

Boss John Sheridan has now won two and dawn one of his three league games since taking charge, and his men have delivered three clean sheets.

He made five changes and introduced a new 3-5-2 system, with loanee Ellis Chapman playing left wing-back on his debut.

It was an even first half but Chesterfield took over after the break, attacking at will down both flanks and looking to get crosses in for the front pair.

But the Shaymen created the game’s first chance, forcing Shwan Jalal into action inside three minutes, the stopper tipping Matty Kosylo’s curling 25-yard free-kick over his bar.

The home side began to impose themselves after that, troubling the Shaymen with big sweeping diagonal balls to the flanks, one of which led to a Jonathan Smith shot which was blocked 16 yards out.

Loanee Ellis Chapman showed his crossing ability a number of times in the opening quarter of an hour, swinging in one particularly dangerous free-kick that found Hadyn Hollis at the back post, keeper Sam Johnson palming the header around his post.

Halifax dangerman Matty Kosylo’s threat was restricted to set-pieces early on but as the half wore on he became more of an influence, coming inside to get involved in attacks.

Ten minutes before the break Kosylo began an attack from the middle of the park and then popped up on the edge of the box to strike a shot goalward, Robbie Weir forced to block.

The Spireites then created a good chance of their own on the counter attack, Marc-Antoine Fortune springing Lee Shaw, who ran from his own half all the way to the area, where his low shot was partially saved by Johnson, the ball bouncing wide of the post.

Another break, again featuring Shaw down the right, very nearly brought the opener, Jonathan Smith finding Fortune who spun and shot all the way across goal.

Chesterfield began to dominate after the interval, attacking down both flanks but either failing with the final ball or not getting on the end of Chapman and Shaw’s crosses.

The closest they came in a good first 15 minutes was when Boden nodded a Shaw delivery past the post.

Weston then fired a half volley over the bar when Halifax failed to properly clear their lines.

Halifax had offered nothing in the second half and having been under the cosh, it was no surprise that they eventually cracked.

Shaw’s cross from the right found Boden, he controlled the ball then went down under the challenge of Matty Brown, referee Leigh Doughty giving it a long, hard look before pointing to the spot.

Ex Halifax man Boden took the spot-kick and sent Johnson the wrong way to get his fifth goal in six games against his former club.

Chesterfield didn’t rest on their laurels and came so close to a second, Curtis Weston’s corner back heeled towards goal by Haydn Hollis, the Shaymen able to clear off the line.

As the game headed into the final stages FC Halifax began to exert more and more pressure, winning corners and sending balls into the box, Chesterfield struggling to keep possession or get out of their own half.

A swinging cross from Kosylo found Scott Quigley as the game headed into time added on, but the frontman could only head wide.

That was the Shaymen’s last real chance, the four minutes of time added on coming and going without too much drama, before the Proact erupted on the full-time whistle.

Chesterfield (3-5-2): Jalal, Evans, Hollis, Yarney, Chapman, Shaw, Smith, Weir, Weston, Fortune (Denton 66), Boden (McKay 90). Not used: J. Rowley, Anyon, Reid.

FC Halifax (4-2-3-1): Duckworth, Skarz, Clarke, Brown, Berrett, Maher, Kosylo, Preston (Tomlinson 76), King (Edwards 72), Quigley. Not used: Staunton, Ferry, S. Rowley.

Goals: Boden 68.

Yellows: Skarz 65, Kosylo 73, Tomlinson 80.

Referee: Leigh Doughty. Assistants: Nicholas Hawksby, Alex Gray.

Attendance: 4523 (387 away).