Cheltenham Town v Chesterfield, 09 September 2000

Cheltenham's brief tenure at the Third Division summit came to an end as they swapped places with confident Chesterfield. The Robins were without six of their senior players while the Spireites were buoyed by their Worthington Cup KO of Second Division Port Vale and Nicky Law's recognition as the Manager of the Month for August. The top of the table clash was largely a scrappy affair with a liberal dose of free-kicks and offsides doing little to assist the flow of play. In the end, it was Chesterfield's extra strength and experience that tipped the balance. After no clear cut chances in the first half, Chesterfield's influence increased and the vital goal seemed inevitable. Good use of the advantage rule by new League referee Armstrong - he overlooked a foul on midfielder Sean Parrish - allowed Luke Beckett to escape down the left before netting from a tight angle with a precise finish. Beckett's goals failed to save Chester City's Football League existence last season but his partnership with David Reeves threatens to send the Blues straight back up to Division Two. A low key performance from Town meant they failed to mount a single shot on target.