Tom Naylor's late header rescues draw for Chesterfield against MK Dons - report

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy drilled the visitors in front on 25 minutes after an unfortunate slip from Armando Dobra in the build-up.

But Tom Naylor equalised on 86 minutes when he headed in substitute Liam Mandeville’s corner.

There was nothing in the match with both sides struggling to create clear chances and a draw was probably a fair result. It was a reasonably entertaining clash between both boxes but both goalkeepers had little to do.

The Spireites climb up one place to sixth in the table but they have now gone four games without a victory but this late point could inspire a winning run.

TEAM NEWS

There was one change for Chesterfield from the defeat to Walsall with John Fleck replacing Ryan Stirk, whose partner went into labour just before the game. With injuries to Matt Dibley-Dias and Luke Butterfield, central midfield was an area of the team they were already stretched in.

MK Dons had their own injury and suspension problems, mainly defensively, so they named a makeshift back-line.

FIRST HALF

The visitors created the first opportunity when former Sheffield Wednesday man Callum Paterson glanced a header just wide from Dan Crowley’s cross.

The Blues had a half chance of their own when Lewis Gordon’s delivery from the left was flicked-on by Dilan Markanday and Vontae Daley-Campbell lashed his finish into the side-netting.

MK’s biggest threat was coming from crosses from the right from Connor Lemonheigh-Evans but Chey Dunkley and Kyle McFadzean were equal to them.

The closest Chesterfield came to scoring was when Markanday split the MK defence open with a cutting pass which Gordon latched onto before forcing goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray to tip over.

Paul Warne’s men took the lead on 25 minutes when an unfortunate slip from Dobra allowed the visitors to pounce and Hepburn-Murphy drilled the ball low past Zach Hemming.

There was not much in the game but, just like at Walsall, Chesterfield had struggled to create chances. And, as has been the case in the early part of the season, another mistake had been punished and they were behind at the break.

SECOND HALF

The start of the second-half was open but there were no clear chances. If anything was going to happen for Chesterfield, Dobra looked the best bet, as he started to fizz into action.

Paul Cook made a double change just after the hour with Devan Tanton and Will Grigg replacing Daley-Campbell and Grigg.

It was a tight encounter going into the last 15 minutes, with both sides managing just one shot on target.

Tanton’s chipped cross looked like it might have caught out MacGillivray but it landed on the roof of the net as Cook made two more changes, with Mandeville and Will Dickson coming on.

Kyle McFadzean had a good chance to grab an equaliser late on but he volleyed over from Dobra’s cross and you wondered if that was the chance to grab a point lost.

But Chesterfield did level on 86 minutes when Mandeville’s corner was headed in at the near post by Naylor for his second goal of the season.

Dickson almost won it in added-time but his shot was straight at MacGillivray and it ended 1-1, which was probably about right on the balance of play.

Chesterfield: Hemming; Daley-Campbell (Tanton, 63), Dunkley, McFadzean, Gordon; Naylor, Fleck; Markanday (Mandeville, 78), Darcy (Dickson, 78), Dobra (Lewis, 90); Bonis (Grigg, 63)

Subs: Boot, Grimes.