Chesterfield returned to winning ways in some style on Saturday, dispatching of Fleetwood Town 3-0 at the SMH Group Stadium.
Second half strikes from Ryan Colclough, Ash Palmer and Paddy Madden were enough to secure victory for the Spireites, who still hold an outside chance of gate-crashing the League Two play-off places.
Paul Cook’s side came into this one having failed to win in their last two matches, including missing the chance to fully capitalise on a crucial game in hand as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Gillingham in midweek.
And having also lost 4-0 at Tranmere Rovers the game previous, that saw the gap to the top seven stand at six points heading into game 42 of 46 to be played this season, meaning near-perfection would be needed to maintain any hopes of promotion.
The hosts would indeed control much of the opening 45 here, though a pair of bending efforts from Michael Olakigbe and Jenson Metcalfe would represent their only real chances of breaching an opponent who themselves suffered a four-goal humbling last weekend.
But just as the game threatened to enter a particular lull, Colclough would eventually find a way through 10 minutes after the restart as he showed great determination to wrestle his way into the area before burying into the bottom corner of Jay Lynch’s goal.
Having had to remain patient to gain the lead, the home side almost surrendered it shortly after, with Ryan Boot forced into a fine save after Liam Mandeville’s miscued clearance had presented the Cod Army with a golden opportunity to draw level.
That would prove a particularly important intervention when Palmer then doubled the advantage at the other end, with the centre-half rising highest to head home from a set-piece.
Two would become three on 78 minutes, with ex-Fleetwood man Madden sweeping himself on to the scoresheet just four minutes after entering the game to compound his former employer’s misery.
And with that win reducing the deficit to seventh-placed Grimsby Town down to four points, Chesterfield will look to further fuel their late play-off dash when they travel to AFC Wimbledon on Good Friday.
