Defeat was on the cards after just seven minutes when Anthony Williams got caught off his line, but a tremendous final 30 minutes should have been enough to earn us a deserved draw against in form Chesterfield.
Steve Evans pulled one back, but we wasted a couple of decent chances when on top and playing by the far the better football. Sadly, you have do that for longer than just 30 minutes, but Brian Little will at least be lifted by what he witnessed as the game grew.
Little had sprung more surprises in the build up to our match at Saltergate, when picking both Conall Murtagh and Levi Mackin alongside Sam Aiston in midfield, while Chris Llewellyn was pushed up alongside Neil Roberts in attack.
The defence lost youngsters Wes Baynes and Neil Taylor, while Simon Spender returned to defence opposite Ryan Valentine.
Chesterfield won their first corner after just two minutes and from the cross Jack Lester worked the ball through the penalty area before laying off to Adam Rooney, whose angled drive from eight yards was well held by Anthony Williams.
The Reds had made a promising start to the game, but on seven minutes that work was undone in dramatic style, when Williams cleared down field only for Chesterfield midfielder Peter Leven to return the ball from the half way line. With the keeper having to scamper back towards his goal, he managed to palm the ball skywards as he fell but was left watching on helplessly as the ball dropped over the line for a most bizarre strike!
Chesterfield missed a great opportunity to grab a second on 21 minutes, when Lester pushed the ball out wide to Gregor Robinson on the left wing, who raced forward before crossing low behind the Wrexham back line. At the back post were two blue shirts, Adam Rooney and Derek Niven, who in their haste contrived to block each other and allow Steve Evans to clear the danger.
A ball over the top of the home defence left Neil Roberts the chance to chase after it, but the two marking defenders left it for keeper Barry Roche who raced from his area and flattened Roberts as he cleared. 'No offence' said referee Darren Deadman, who eventually had to stop play with the striker left flat on his back!
More good interplay involving Lester and Rooney saw the Stoke loanee burst into the Wrexham box, but Williams stood up to him and made a crucial save on 24 minutes.
Despite making his league debut and showing up well, Murtagh's afternoon was cut prematurely short on 29 minutes when he clashed with Janos Kovacs and sustained a nasty cut to his head. Neil Taylor replaced the Irishman with Valentine moving into midfield and Con being lead away for a several stitches to his wound.
A minute later Leven was again showing his long-range skills with a 40-yarder that Williams did well to tip round a post, diving full length to his left.
The Spireites opened up the Welsh defence once again on 37 minutes, with Ward beating the offside trap to chase a long ball over the top, but his finish lacked composure.
He did though repeat the trick 60 seconds later, but Williams was able to produce a great save as Shaun Pejic did his best to put off the former Aston Villa striker.
A second goal duly arrived on 41 minutes, when Jamie Winter dropped a ball onto the edge of the Wrexham box, Evans and Pejic challenged each other as Jack Lester joined in, but as the ball dropped it fell to the feet of the Chesterfield frontman, who calmly picked his spot from 18-yards and planted the ball into the corner of the net.
HT
The second half started with the Reds making a second change, Proctor being sent on for Aiston, as Little employed a three-man attack.
Taylor collected his fifth booking of the season when he tangled legs with Rooney, as the pair turned to chase after a long ball. The referee saw this worthy of a caution, despite the linesman, just two-yards award away, not even waving his flag for a foul!
Chesterfield swept away down the left wing through Leven on 59 minutes, who crossed from the byline, but despite Lester meeting the ball at the near post he couldn't steer his effort on target from a few yards out.
There was another let off for the visitors on 62 minutes, when Taylor sprinted back passed Rooney to play the ball to the relative safety of his keeper, but Williams' clearance was only directed straight at Ward, but the striker was surprised as anyone in the ground and the ball bounced off him, back to the grateful Wrexham keeper.
At the second time of asking, Mackin sent over a left wing corner on 67 minutes, which Neil Roberts flicked on and Steve Evans buried with a header from just a few yards out.
This brought the travelling supporters back to life as they urged the lads on and shortly afterwards Kovacs threw himself in front of a Llewellyn shot, hurting himself in the process, but knocking the ball away for another corner.
The Reds were visibly lifted and now keen to take the game to their hosts, to such an extend that Chesterfield felt forced to make a double change to their line-up bringing on Alan O'Hare and Gareth Davies with a little over 10 minutes remaining.
At the other end a mistake by Pejic allowed Ward to stretch the Wrexham defence, but Williams was quickly off his line to block the danger on 80 minutes.
Llewellyn then set up Proctor with a lovely through ball that set the former Sunderland man away on goal, but his shot across Roche was just touched by the Chesterfield keeper and passed the far post. Mackin's corner was met by Mike Williams, but he saw his effort bounce a foot the wrong side of the back post.
Proctor then missed an even better chance on 86 minutes, when he latched onto another long through ball, taking it in his stride but only directing his effort straight at the home keeper.
After Taylor's persistence won his side a corner, Roberts saw his effort blocked on the line by substitute Gareth Davies as the minutes kept ticking away.
Two minutes of added time were indicated, but the home side managed to waste enough of it to preserve their lead and deny Wrexham what woukd have been a morale boosting comeback.
Chesterfield: Barry Roche, Jamie Lowry, Janos Kovacs, Gregor Robertson, Aaron Downes, Peter Leven, Jamie Winter, Derek Niven (Gareth Davies 79), Adam Rooney (Alan O'Hare 79), Jack Lester, Jamie Ward.
Subs: Michael Jordan, Adam Smith, Wayne Allison.
Wrexham: Anthony Williams, Simon Spender, Ryan Valentine, Shaun Pejic, Steve Evans, Mike Williams, Conall Murtagh (Neil Taylor 29), Levi Mackin, Sam Aiston (Michael Proctor 46), Neil Roberts, Chris Llewellyn.
Subs: Michael Jones, Wes Baynes, Marc Williams.
Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambs)
Attendance: 4,293
Away: 239
Booking -
Wrexham: N Taylor (54, foul)
