Spireites Draw Against Oldham Athletic.

Chesterfield played out a goal-less draw against Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Saturday afternoon and added another point towards their tally, as they aim to maintain their current play-off place with the season drawing to a close.

Paul Cook made two changes from Tuesday’s convincing victory at home to Colchester United, as Charlie Raglan and Daniel Jones replaced Sam Hird and Drew Talbot who both picked up injuries over the course of this week.

In the opening moments, Jones took the initiative with a lone run forward that culminated in a driven cross that was plucked impressively from the air by Joel Coleman. Sensing an opportunity, Sam Clucas opted to strike on the half-volley from 25 yards prior to watching his own effort sail wide of the post and out of play for a goal-kick.

Moving on in this first period, former Dagenham and Redbridge forward Rhys Murphy broke free of the defence prior to being relieved of possession as a result of a superb Jones tackle who immediately instigated another Chesterfield attack. Involved for a second time in a matter of minutes, Murphy opted to try his luck with an over-head kick from eight yards that was palmed away from danger in the end by a resolute Tommy Lee.

After replacing Dan Gardner in the 23rd minute, Armand Gnanduillet managed to evade his marker and create a golden opportunity for himself before dragging his tame effort low and ultimately wide of Coleman’s post. On the stroke of half-time, Raglan connected with a lofted Gary Roberts free-kick and fired straight towards Coleman who saved with relative ease.

At the beginning of the second 45 minutes, Murphy took matters into his own hands by cutting inside and firing straight in the direction of Lee who comfortably gathered possession for his side. Carl Winchester then found himself with a clear run at goal, but the sheer pace possessed by Jones allowed the left-back to recover and produce a second incredible last-ditch tackle for his side.

Waiting on the left-hand side, Roberts eventually released a low delivery that was intercepted smartly on the six-yard line by Coleman who showed impressive awareness and anticipation in that particular situation. With around 11 minutes left to play, Mike Jones attempted an audacious chip from the 18-yard line that only required Lee to watch the ball sail over his crossbar and out of play for a goal-kick.

Without any doubt, the best opportunity in this contest came courtesy of Clucas’s own individual brilliance as he met a loose ball outside the area and forced a strong save from Coleman with a stunning half-volley. For the full three minutes of additional time, both sides continued to push but to no avail and ultimately settled for a point from this fixture.