Chesterfield 3 (Lester 34, 61, Robertson 86) Rochdale 0 – Full Time Report

Photo: Jon Coluccio

Dagnall tries to force his way between Montrose and Hall.

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Rochdale were emphatically beaten on a night they will want to forget in a hurry if they are to maintain automatic promotion hopes.

Chesterfield convincingly resurrected their late play-off push with goals in either half from talisman Jack Lester and a fine late effort from Gregor Robertson.

In the first half Dale failed to get into anything closely resembling a stride and they were fortunate only to be behind to a goal that summed up their first half.

It was a goal riddled with defensive mistakes, punished by Jack Lester, who kept his head while the defenders around him were losing theirs.

Chesterfield should have had the lead in the opening minutes. Lewis Montrose forced a fine save from Frank Fielding with a twenty yard drive and Jack Lester picked up the pieces and bundled his way passed Simon Ramsden. The striker curled a shot inches past the far upright but a man of Lester’s calibre should have scored.

The home side continued to play the more attractive football in the early stages, breaking away at pace, and another warning shot was fired across the Dale bows when Jared Wilson struck a venomous effort from the edge of the box that again whistled just past the post.

Martin Gritton and Lester combined to give the home side their next chance, with Dale unable to maintain any possession in key areas of the field. The two strikers flicked on a deep ball into the box and Derek Niven made a late charge but couldn’t gather the ball in his stride for what would have been a simple finish.

Dale were testing their luck in front of their own goal and Chesterfield went four on two when Ramsden misjudged a bouncing ball on the half way line. Lester fed Jamie Lowry down the inside right channel and Tom Kennedy did superbly to block the winger’s goal-bound shot.

The home side finally grabbed their goal but rather than coming through some of the fine football that Chesterfield had been playing, it came thanks to a combination of defensive errors from the visitors. Kennedy hooked a clearance up into the night sky and the wind carried it into the Dale box. Ramsden and Rory McArdle paused and failed to deal with the bouncing ball before Lester calmly took command. He beat the two static defenders and slotted the ball comfortably past Fielding.

The final minute of the half brought Dale’s one and only chance. Wilson needlessly conceded a corner for the home side and Gary Madine nodded Adam Rundle’s corner towards goal. Wilson atoned for his error by nodding off the line, although goalkeeper Tommy Lee was on hand behind his defender.

The start to the second was much brighter for Dale. Playing with the wind, they seemed to have more space to find their men and Clark Keltie did that with aplomb when he whipped the ball out to Adam Rundle. The winger beat Wilson but his cross was too deep for a despairing Madine.

Chesterfield always looked dangerous on the break while Dale trailed. Lester was always the danger man and almost fed off a couple scraps inside the box but defenders just about managed by block his efforts.

Dale’s first real chance of the game came in similar circumstances to Chesterfield’s goal. A Lee kick was miscued and the wind carried it back for Madine. The striker fed the run of Dagnall, who went in on goal but his shot was smothered by the former Dale goalkeeper.

The incline on the visitor’s uphill task increased when Lester doubled Chesterfield’s lead. Again it was all too easy for the prolific hitman as he gathered a throw in on the edge of the box, turned his man, the Dale defenders back off, and Lester rolled another shot beyond Fielding.

Two goals down and Dale finally began to exert some pressure on the home side. Chesterfield sat back and soaked up most of the pressure and although there was some intricate play on the edge of the Chesterfield box, there was never anything to test Lee.

The deadly Lester could have sealed a hat-trick late on after he robbed McArdle and fired a drive that Fielding did well to palm out. The home fans only had to wait a minute before Chesterfield confirmed victory with an emphatic third. Dale were torn apart by substitute Kerry’s flick inside and Gregor Robertson had all evening to fire a low finish.

Dale sought a consolation but Will Buckley was unable to give the 642 travelling fans anything to cheer when he somehow failed to turn the ball in from four yards out. The ball hit Niven, amidst cries for handball, but those were waved away by the referee. 

Chesterfield: Lee, Robertson, Lowry, Montrose, Niven, Gritton (Currie), Lester, Downes, Hall, Till (Kerry), Wilson.
Subs (not used): Austin, Boden, Gray.

Booked: Niven.

Rochdale: Fielding, Wiseman, Kennedy, Ramsden, McArdle, Jones, Keltie (Toner), Dagnall, Rundle, Le Fondre (Buckley), Madine (Thorpe).
Subs (not used): Stanton, Thompson.

Booked: Le Fondre.

Attempts (on target): Chesterfield 10 (7) Rochdale 5 (4)
Free kicks: Chesterfield 8 Rochdale 14
Offside Chesterfield 2 Rochdale 2
Corners: Chesterfield 6 Rochdale 6