A second half horror show from Yeovil Town saw Chesterfield come from two goals down to win 3-2 at Huish Park this afternoon.
James Hayter and Sam Foley had put the Glovers two ahead but Sam Hird pulled a goal back before sub Jay O’Shea’s quick fire double made it three goals in ten minutes and ensured all three points would be heading back with the Spireites.
Manager Terry Skiverton made three changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Rochdale last Saturday. With Swansea loanees Josh Sheehan and Liam Shephard returning from international duty, Nathan Smith and James Berrett were stood down. Keeper Scott Loach dropped out of the squad as an extra loanee so Artur Krysiak came in between the sticks.
The visitors, who moved into the playoff positions with an impressive victory at Bradford on Tuesday, dominated the first half in terms of possession and had seven corners. Sam Clucas and Drew Talbot went close early on but Yeovil fought back well and ad two good chances to take the lead. Shephard and Gozie Ugwu combined well with Shephard firing over then sixty seconds later, Foley played in Ajay Leitch-Smith whose volley went narrowly wide.
The home side took the lead on eighteen minutes with a goal that initially looked offside. James Hayter seemed the last man as he received the ball from Ugwu’s pass but the striker ran on and calmly slotted home for his fifth goal of the season.
Krysiak made his first superb save of the match on twenty minutes when he got down to parry Talbots header that was going in the corner and the Polish keeper also denied Byron Harrison after is heavy first touch.
The keeper was helpless on 33 minutes when a ferocious cross shot from Jimmy Ryan glanced off the crossbar and behind; Hayter then headed wide from a Foley cross in Yeovil’s last chance of the half.
Although they had impressed in the first half, Spireites manager Paul Cook made a double change at half time. Tendayi Darikwa hit a searing shot that went over in the opening minutes of the second period and one of the Spireite subs, Jay O’Shea pulled a shot wide soon afterwards. The pattern of the first half was in danger of being repeated but out of nowhere, the Glovers added a second goal. Shephard put a fantastic ball over the top for the burst forward of Foley to run on to and he placed the ball wide of Tommy Lee for 2-0.
Chesterfield went on the attack straight away, refusing to take the second goal as the end of the game and after Krysiak had brilliantly denied Gary Roberts, he could do nothing from the corner when Sam Hird headed firmly home from the ensuing corner.
To the frustration of the home crowd, it was soon 2-2 with the goal of the game from sub O’Shea who hit a screamer from 25 yards into the top right hand corner of the goal. And unbelievably, further disaster followed just three minutes later. Stephen Kingsley slipped and lost control at the back post letting in O’Shea to smack home to complete a stunning comeback. Three goals in ten second half minutes had swung the game right round in Chesterfields favour.
Kingsley almost redeemed himself on 77 minutes when his accurate cross found Ugwu but the big striker lacked power with his header and Lee gathered easily. The game ended on a scrappy niggly note with visiting striker Sam Clucas lucky to stay on the pitch after twice clashing with Yeovil defenders and also kicking the ball away.
Late on, Clucas netted but was well offside; a point might have been scant reward for a Chesterfield side who controlled the match for long periods and fully deserved all three points that cements their place in the top six.