MATCH REPORT: Late Norris penalty denies Spireites win at Swindon

Picture by Gareth Williams/AHPIX.com; Football; Sky Bet League Two; Swindon Town v Chesterfield FC; 11/11/2017 KO 15.00; The Energy Check County Ground; copyright picture; Howard Roe/AHPIX.com; Joe Anyon gets fingers to an early effort from Swindon's Johnny Goddard

The home side took the lead through Timi Elsnik’s strike early in the second half after they had the lion’s share of the play in the first half.

But the Spireites came back strongly and Kristian Dennis levelled the scores on 56 minutes before Jak McCourt’s 40-yard piledriver seemingly earned the visitors their second away league win of the season.

But Scott Wiseman’s foul on Luke Norris in injury time allowed the Robins a chance to take a point, which they duly grasped.

Chesterfield weathered an early Swindon storm when Joe Anyon made a splendid save to deny John Goddard from range just seconds after replacing Amine Linganzi after three minutes.

Anyon was spared his blushes on ten minutes after being charged down by Kaiyne Woolery, who was then pulled down by the keeper, but the referee was unmoved, to the outrage of the home fans.

Top-scorer Dennis nearly gave Chesterfield the lead when he headed Joe Rowley’s volleyed cross narrowly wide in a free-flowing attacking move.

On 30 minutes, Chesterfield had Sam Hird to thank after he heroically cleared substitute Norris’ header off the line following Matt Taylor’s deep corner from the right.

Swindon took the lead just after the break when Elsnik’s low curling strike went beyond the reach of Anyon.

But Dennis made no mistake on 56 minutes when he latched on to Rowley’s long ball before firing past Reice Charles-Cook to bag his tenth goal of the season.

Chesterfield then turned the game on its head when McCourt’s speculative effort from distance soared into the in-off the bar to send the travelling fans into pandemonium.

But Swindon were awarded a penalty in stoppage time when Wiseman was adjudged to have brought down Norris and the striker dispatched the resultant spot-kick.

Swindon Town: (4-3-3): Charles-Cook 6, Purkiss 6, Preston 6, Lancashire 5, Taylor 7, Dunne 6, Elsnik 7, Linganzi 4 (Goddard 3 7), Anderson 6, Woolery 7 (Mullin 66, 5), Smith 5 (Norris 27, 8)

Subs not used: Robertson, Henry, Gordon, Knoyle

Chesterfield: (4-2-3-1): Anyon 7, Barry 6, Hird 7 (Maguire 45, 7), Evatt 8, Wiseman 3, McCourt 9, Reed 8, Rowley 8, Kellett 6, Briggs 6 (Binnom-Williams 60, 6), Dennis 8

Subs not used: Sinnott, Dimaio, De Girolamo, Weir, Parkin