Report by North Derbyshire Radio Senior Football Correspondent Ben Smith
Chesterfield ensured their hopes of making the League Two play-offs remain alive heading into the final day by beating Morecambe 4-1 at the SMH Group Stadium.
Second-half strikes from Ash Palmer, Michael Olakigbe and Tom Naylor ultimately sealed the three points, that after Jordan Slew had cancelled out Will Grigg’s opener.
The Spireites came into this game having picked up a pair of hard-earned draws over the Easter weekend; a return which left them three points adrift of the play-off places with two games to go.
That meant a victory over their already-relegated visitors would guarantee at the very least an outside chance of snatching a top seven spot when they visit Accrington Stanley to close out the regular season.
And it was the hosts who assumed early control with Jenson Metcalfe and Liam Mandeville both registering shots on target, albeit not efforts that caused Ryan Schofield in the opposing goal a great amount of concern.
A period of relative inactivity followed for much of the first 45, but things would be rather sparked into life when substitute Michael Jacobs was deemed to have initiated contact between a Morecambe defender and Schofield before he could stroke the subsequent loose ball into an empty net.
It was a decision greeted with dismay by the home support, and that flashpoint set off a frantic five minutes or so leading into the interval, which ultimately culminated in Grigg getting the opener, showing true poacher’s instinct after Palmer’s header had initially been saved.
That deficit prompted Derek Adams to introduce Slew as part of a double half-time switch, and it would be the man who spent a brief spell in North Derbyshire in 2016 who levelled proceedings, heading home David Tutonda’s inviting cross.
Things wouldn’t remain at 1-1 for long, however, with Palmer poking his side back in front just two minutes later and seconds after having been denied by another fine fingertip save.
Two would become three on 75 minutes, with Olakigbe sliding in to send Ryan Colclough’s cutback goal-bound.
And Blues’ number four Naylor would then round things off by getting their fourth goal, applying the easiest of finishes after centre-half Palmer was yet again first to meet the ball in the air.
That result sees Chesterfield cut the gap to the top seven down to just a single point, leaving things finely poised ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Accrington.
