THREE FOR LEE BEATS SPIREITES
CHESTERFIELD boss Paul Cook insists now is not the time to press the panic button despite seeing his league leaders humbled by ten-man Accrington Stanley.
A first-half hat-trick from Lee Molyneux gave relegation-threatened Accrington a comfortable cushion, despite having Peter Murphy sent off after half an hour for two bookable offences, meaning Ian Evatt’s 85thminute tap in was nothing more than a consolation.
However Chesterfield remain top of League Two after Scunthorpe and Rochdale were held by Northampton and Bury respectively, leaving Cook urging calm, despite admitting his side got exactly what they deserved from the Crown Ground – absolutely nothing.
“We were very poor and there are no excuses,” he said. “There was a great travelling support for us but they go home just as disappointed as us.
“But the important thing for me is that we stay strong. There are 11 games to go in the league and these are the players that have made us who we are.
“We have had a lot of plaudits along the way and now and again when you get some body blows like we have, I believe in conducting yourselves properly.
“You should show manners and a little bit of class when things don’t go well so this is about Accrington and not Chesterfield. They should take all the plaudits.”
Molyneux wasted no time in getting on the scoresheet, grabbing his first after just four minutes thanks to a low free-kick.
And on nine minutes Accrington found themselves two goals to the good as Molyneux followed in when Danny Webber’s penalty – awarded when Ritchie Humphreys brought down William Hatfield – was saved by Tommy Lee.
The home side were then reduced to ten men on the half-hour mark as Murphy was shown his second yellow card for a rash challenge on Dan Gardner.
But despite being a man light Accrington went into the break 3-0 ahead as Molyneux wrapped up his hat-trick with a low drive.
The second-half was all Chesterfield but they could only find the back of the net with five minutes remaining as Evatt pounced on a loose ball in the box to drill past Marcus Bettinelli.
“I know that Chesterfield were top of the league but I just had a good feeling about the match in the morning,” said Accrington manager James Beattie, whose side are now six points above the drop zone.
“Chesterfield are a very good side who are there on merit. But as I have said before I believe in the players and if we do the right things at the right time then we are a good side. “We knew that they would switch the play after the sending off and get crosses in but the lads just worked tirelessly.”