Exeter City share the points at Chesterfield

Report: Chesterfield 1 Exeter City 1

Exeter City and Chesterfield shared the points with a 1-1 draw at the Proact Stadium, in a game that could easily have gone either way by the full-time whistle.

Matt Grimes’ first professional goal – a deflected free-kick – got City going in the second half, and the Grecians created a host of chances to extend that lead before Sam Morsy was sent off for the hosts for a poor tackle on Grimes.

But Eoin Doyle won a penalty late in the game and scored it himself, with the game ultimately ending a goal apiece.

Striker John O’Flynn started in attack for the Grecians for the Good Friday trip to meet Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium, making his first start for over a month since beginning away at York. Club captain Danny Coles was the other change to the squad, with duo Pat Baldwin and Tom Nichols both primed on the bench.

City began the game shooting towards a packed home crowd, who were fully expecting their promotion charge to continue. However Exeter were stubborn in defence early doors and the forward energy of O’Flynn was giving the Spireites’ defence things to think about.

The first chance of note came as Chesterfield centre-half Liam Cooper headed a corner goalwards, only for Matt Oakley to be well-placed on the line to keep out the effort. Up the other end, a clever flick from a City corner was almost turned in only for the offside flag to go up.

Christy Pym, who had retained his place between the sticks, was called upon to make a great save from Eoin Doyle as Gary Roberts’ cross from the left flank with the outside of his boot was met by the Irishman. The flag at that point had already been raised.

Eliot Richards was proving a useful link-up player between the midfield and lone striker O’Flynn, and it was his intelligent use of the ball that earned City the opener.

The Bristol Rovers loanee drew a foul which the referee tried to play advantage for, only for the move to break down and a free-kick to be signalled. Grimes struck left-footed from 25 yards and meaty deflection left goalkeeper Tommy Lee stranded as the net rippled.

Rather than rousing the home side, the goal left them rattled and the away side continued to look threatening, on the counter in particular. Richards worked space to shoot left-footed but his effort lacked sufficient power to worry Lee, before O’Flynn was just stood up and challenged in good time by captain Ian Evatt.

Marc Richards’ stung the palms of Pym before the interval after Sam Morsy drew a foul from Matt Oakley, and then had another effort deflected just wide after being teed up by Nathan Smith.

Half-time: Chesterfield 0 Exeter City 1