Penalties galore as Chesterfield and Staveley play out eight-goal thriller

It was hectic and scrappy at times in the second half, but it will be remembered for the incredible number of penalties awarded. The Spireites benefited from three spot-kicks, while Staveley grabbed a late equaliser from the spot. It looked easy for a relatively young Town side in the first half and they walked off at the break with a 2-0 lead. But Staveley stormed back in the second half, against a much more youthful Chesterfield outfit, and at one stage lead 3-2. Chesterfield dominated possession early on, trialist Sam Scrivens seeing plenty of the ball wide left, backed up by Jay Sheridan at left-back. Sam Wedgbury was straight into the action with his first big tackle since last August's ACL injury and came through unscathed, settling into an anchoring role in the centre of Town's midfield. The visitors should have made their early possession pay, Jack McKay finding himself in space 20 yards out with only former Spireites keeper Myles Wright to beat, yet his shot lacked the necessary power. At the other end Luke Coddington was largely a spectator, until Haydn Hollis sold him short with a back header and the keeper was on the receiving end of a clattering. Lee Shaw, who received his customary late challenge nice and early, clipped a nice ball to the back post for Scrivens but the former Penistone attacker got the header all wrong. Mandeville came closest to an opener with a curling shot that the Staveley keeper brilliantly tipped around the post. But the hosts gave the National League side a helping hand seven minutes before the break, McKay's attempted cross catching a trailing arm and resulting in a penalty. Mandeville took the spot kick and tucked it away expertly for the first goal of pre-season. John Sheridan made a raft of changes at the break, sending on some of the club's youngsters and a trio of trialists, including former Sheffield Wednesday keeper Dan Wallis. Two of Town's academy products combined inside seven minutes of the restart to double the lead, Luke Rawson showing skill and perseverance on the wing before finding Levi Amantchi, who stroked home. But two goals in two minutes brought Staveley right back into it. The first was drilled low to Wallis' right hand side and the second was a beautiful finish, hammered in off the crossbar after Staveley got in down the right flank. On 67 minutes the comeback was complete, Staveley cutting their visitors apart with a fine move and taking the lead. Amantchi was unlucky not to level for Town with a rasping 25-yard drive, Wright equal to it with an excellent one-handed stop. The stopper also got a hand to a second Chesterfield penalty, won and scored by trialist Dan Bramall, but couldn't keep it out. And when Jack Holmes went down under a challenge in the box on 76 minutes, he too was afforded the chance to get on the scoresheet from 12 yards and he slammed home Town's third spot-kick. Staveley managed to get in on the act with eight minutes left, earning a penalty of their own after Laurence Maguire got himself in a muddle and put Wallis under pressure with a back pass, the keeper bringing down an attacker. Thomas Poole made it 4-4 from the spot. There was a late chance for Amantchi to win it for the visitors, but he shot past the post after good work by Joe Rowley. Chesterfield: Coddington, Trialist (Render 46), Sharman, Hollis (Trialist 46), Sheridan, Wedgbury (Maguire 70), Wakefield (Holmes 46), Shaw (Trialist), Trialist (Rowley 70), McKay (Amantchi 46), Mandeville (Rawson 46). Staveley: Wright, Slack, Dudley, Finlaw, Cheeseman, Lund, Lindley, James, Pugh, Poole, Williams. Subs: Burke, Jones, Parkin, Davies, Oglesby, Munday, Barnett. Goals: Mandeville 38 (pen), Amantchi 52, trialist 70 (pen), Holmes 76 (pen); 56, 57, 67, Poole 82 (pen)