Jim Gannon named an unchanged side for the third time this season as the Hatters looked to extend their superb start  at Saltergate.

The first chance of the game fell to Anthony Elding, who got on the end of a Matty McNeil flick but his first touch was a little heavy and Roche was able to gather.

At the other end of the pitch McNeil was involved again when he pulled off a good header to deny Jamie Winter an opportunity from a dubious free-kick.

Moments later the dangerous Jack Lester was snubbed out by the in-form Owen and Williams partnership, having been released by Derek Niven.  Lester was involved again moments later when he found Adam Smith free in the area, but the young Chesterfield striker pulled off a terrible strike that went well wide.

On the 15th minute Winter had a good opportunity to score but he was put off by Dicker, who had done well to track back.

At the other end David Poole broke away from the Chesterfield attack and found Griffin in space, but the talented left winger could not get to the ball.

On the 21st minute Gary Dicker crossed for Matty McNeil, whose header went just over the bar.

Chesterfield played some clever football on the half hour that nearly resulted in an opening when Lester burst forward and delivered a clever flick back for Niven, whose shot was blocked by Jason Taylor.

McNeil and Elding looked to be really linking up well and Aaron Downes had to be at his best to block a McNeil overhead kick, following a good flick by his strike partner.

Lester had a goal disallowed moments later when he was adjudged to have been offside; County, inevitably,  breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Spireites nearly had a penalty moments later when Jason Taylor clattered Lester in the box, but the referee waved the appeals away.

Gary Dicker's free kick five minutes from time was not far away following a foul on McNeil by Jonas Kavacs.

Despite losing the momentum for a large part of the first half, County started to turn up the tempo in the final five minutes and at half-time the game looked like anyone's for the taking.

Second Half

McNeil had the first chance of the second half when his header from six yards out was caught by Roche.

Taylor was lucky not to give away a free kick on the edge of the 'D' when he fouled Downes, right in front of the referee who waived away the Spireites' protests.

Substitute Jamie Jackson was causing the away side a great deal of problems with his speed and, but for a timely intervention from Williams  the Hatters would have seen themselves a goal down.

It was County that went ahead, though, when their own super sub Liam Dickinson headed home from a David Poole cross, just five minutes after being introduced,  much to the delight of the vociferous Blue & White Army. Unfortunately for Dicko, he injured himself in the process and he required a number of stitches in a nasty head wound.

Chesterfiled pulled the game level, though, when Jack Lester smashed the ball beyond Conrad Logan following a good head from Kevin Gray following a Spireites corner.

The home team started to turn the screw after this goal and they went close when Derek Niven struck the ball from the edge of the area.

At the other end, County also looked to regain the lead, with Liam Dickinson looking particuarly sharp.

Williams made an uncharacteristic mistake in the final few moments when he miss hit the ball and allowed Lester in one on one with Logan. However the on-loan keeper spared Williams blushes with a wonderful save.

Logan again made a teriffic, and brave, save to again deny Jackson in the dying few minutes.

At the end of the game Jim Gannon punched the air in delight, having seen his side scrap for what is a hard-earned and very good point at this stage of the season.