Chesterfield advanced in the Vertu Trophy on Tuesday night, with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool Under 21s ultimately enough to qualify from their group despite losing a subsequent penalty shoot-out.
Goals from Bailey Hobson and Dylan Duffy were cancelled out by a Kaide Gordon double as the young Reds rallied from 2-0 down to claim an initial point, before edging a mammoth shoot-out 11-10 to secure the additional bonus on offer.
The Spireites suffered a 7-1 hammering at Crewe Alexandra in their opening game of the competition, but put in a much sturdier display to beat Burton Albion 1-0 in match number two.
That meant that if Paul Cook’s team collected more points than the Brewers in their respective final group fixtures, then they would advance through to the knockout stages.
It was the visitors who made the most first-half headway towards a positive result here though, with Joseph Bradshaw and then Gordon forcing opposing stopper Ryan Boot into action.
However, the home side did make it through to the break unscathed and with Burton at that point 2-0 down against Crewe, progression would be secured if those results held through to the end of the 90.
A rather wet and windy night at the SMH Group Stadium was perhaps a contributing factor to an hour of few opportunities, with the breeze catching hold of several potentially inviting crosses at the start of the second 45.
But those same conditions would play a significant role as the deadlock eventually was broken on 62 minutes, as Hobson’s effort bobbled along the slippery surface and under visiting ‘keeper Fabian Mrozek.
There was very little luck about the second which followed shortly after though, with Duffy decisively lashing the ball into the top corner to further strengthen his side’s position.
But if anybody in blue had begun to relax they would be given a jolt when Gordon halved the deficit with 14 minutes still to play.
And he would strike again in time added on to send the game to spot-kicks, of which there would be a whopping 12 taken by each side.
Boot prolonged proceedings with a fine save after Dilan Markanday had been the first to blink, but that stop would prove to be in vain as John Fleck saw his second attempt cannon back off the crossbar.
Elsewhere, things ultimately finished 3-1 in favour of the Alex, meaning the outcome of this game’s shoot-out had been rendered largely immaterial in its early stages.
Chesterfield will learn their next opponents in this competition when the Round of 32 draw is made on Thursday afternoon, before returning to League Two action with a tricky trip to Grimsby Town on Saturday.
