Chesterfield look raring to go after beating Accrington Stanley - how the action unfolded

The clinical Spireites were 3-0 up at the Wham Stadium after 25 minutes after Ollie Banks scored a penalty, Armando Dobra curled home and Ryan Colclough drilled in before Jack Nolan pulled one back before half-time.

Chances were harder to come by in the second-half and some mistakes crept in. Brad Hills headed a second goal back with 20 minutes remaining but the Blues held on.

Paul Cook’s men now have one more friendly, away at Bristol Rovers next Saturday, before the real stuff starts on August 5. But, on this evidence, Town are ready to start now and look raring to go.

Stanley, who were relegated from League One last season, came out of the blocks quickest and moved the ball swiftly but it was Chesterfield who took an early lead on eight minutes when Banks slipped a ball into the path of Colclough and he was clipped in the box. Banks made no mistake from the spot, slotting into the bottom right corner.

After a scrappy spell, the Spireites doubled their lead on 20 minutes when Dobra emphatically curled in from inside the area.

And five minutes later Town had a third when Colclough, who had caused all sorts of problems for the home defence down the left alongside the impressive Brandon Horton, drilled home at the near post.

Dobra came close to adding a fourth but his shot was blocked after a well-worked short corner and then the hosts pulled a goal back when Nolan finished from a Tommy Leigh cross.

Stanley had a good chance for a second goal when Matt Lowe beat the offside trap but he dragged his effort wide.

Before the first-half came to an end, Joe Quigley headed narrowly wide from Banks’ cross.

In the opening stages of the second-half, Colclough had a volley blocked at the back post and that turned out to be the last we saw of him as he was replaced by a new outfield trialist. Fellow trialist, goalkeeper Ryan Boot, also came on for Harry Tyrer.

Chesterfield were not as threatening after the break and the game became disrupted by the number of substitutions being made and Stanley pulled another goal back with 20 minutes remaining when Hills headed in a free-kick and they almost levelled the score but Boot saved well from Korede Adedoyin in the box.

Accrington pushed for an equaliser, and Boot was called into action again, but Chesterfield managed to come away with a good win. After narrow defeats to the two Sheffield clubs and Derby County, they will have been pleased to taste victory again.

It’s Bristol Rovers away next weekend, and then the Spireites open their sixth season - and hopefully last - in non-league against Dorking Wanderers a week later.

Chesterfield: Tyrer (Boot, 60); King (Sheckleford, 70), Williams (Wilkinson, 78), Grimes (Maguire, 78), Horton (Clements, 70); Naylor (Jones, 65), Banks (Oldaker, 65); Mandeville (Uchegbulam, 70), Dobra (Hobson, 70), Colclough (Trialist, 60); Quigley (Curtis, 78).