Chesterfield 2 (Doyle 42, 57)
Reds 1 (Treacy 85)
Barnsley started and finished the game on top but came out 2-1 losers at Chesterfield's Proact Stadium.
Spireites striker Eoin Doyle notched his 15th and 16th goals of the season and they were enough to earn the hosts all the points despite a late scare caused by Keith Treacy’s first goal for the Reds.
With only three minutes on the watch Conor Hourihane had the first chance of the match with a fine, low effort from the edge of the box.
Tommy Lee got down well to his right to block and the flag was up on Winnall for the rebound.It was a decent start from both sides but the Reds had the hosts penned in for the majority of the opening exchanges.
When Dudgeon cleared a deep cross he went down with a head injury but play continued and the Hull City loanee had to jump to his feet to clear O’Shea’s effort on 13 minutes.
The Spireites enjoyed a decent spell on the ball but failed to carve out a real opportunity until the 26th minute. A brilliant cross from the left by Jones found Eoin Doyle 12 yards out but he played his header straight into the arms of Ross Turnbull.
Again Doyle was invited for a pop at goal three minutes later. The Irishman drifted in from the left but his shot was scuffed harmlessly wide of Turnbull's post from the edge of the area.
On 34 minutes the Reds came back into it with Cole carrying the ball into the box before seeing his cross cleared for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, Hourihane’s delivery was met by the head of Nyatanga and after a decent save from Lee, the Spireites cleared their lines after a short panic in the six-yard box with Winnall lurking.
The hosts took advantage of a gifted corner following some miscommunication in the Reds’ back line, but Evatt blazed his free header over the bar from seven yards on 39 minutes.
The deadlock was broken on 42 minutes and it was the hosts who made the breakthrough. Eoin Doyle latched on to a stray header by Dudgeon and the striker lofted over a stranded Turnbull for the opener.Second half Barnsley should have levelled it seven minutes after the break through Kane Hemmings.
Berry’s neat pass down the centre found the forward’s bursting run and after kinking to the right his low effort cannoned off Lee's outstretched leg and out for a corner.
Roberts was proving to be a big threat for the home side and after teasing the Reds' defence he fed Doyle on 56 minutes but the forward hammered well over the bar after cutting in from the left.
Doyle didn't waste his next chance on 58 minutes when he seemed to have all the time in the world to pick his spot - the far corner - to make it 2-0 and uphill struggle for the Reds.
Devante Cole responded for Barnsley on 65 minutes when he burst forward but the slightest of touches saw his strike go the wrong side of the upright.
A chance was cleared off the line by Darikwa on 64 minutes as Sam Winnall's header seemed destined for the net but it was panning out to not be Barnsley’s day.
Kane Hemmings was replaced by Keith Treacy on 67 minutes for Barnsley’s second change of the day.
When the game was slipping away the Reds found a lifeline on 85 minutes. Winnall flicked on for Dudgeon down the left and his delivery towards Winnall was knocked into the path of Treacy who slammed home from inside the six-yard box.
It was a case of Chesterfield hanging on for dear life with the Reds piling on the pressure in the four minutes of added-on time but it soon ran out as the Spireites held on.
Teams
Chesterfield: Lee, Darikwa, Jones, Ryan, O'Shea (Gnanduillet 80), Roberts, Clucas (Margreitter 90), Raglan, Doyle, Evatt, Banks (Humphreys 60).
Subs: Wright, Boco, Gardner, Ariyibi.
Reds: Turnbull, Dudgeon (Lita 90), Berry, Nyatanga, Cranie, Hourihane, Winnall, Hemmings (Treacy 66), Ramage, Bailey (Trotta 63), Cole.
Subs: Digby, M'voto, Abbott, Davies.
Referee: Andre Mariner
