Chesterfield 0 Colchester United 0

Colchester United extended their fine run to just two defeats in their last 16 league matches, following a goalless stalemate at lowly Chesterfield this afternoon.

In a game of too many errors, both sides will probably be content with a point.

The draw ended a sequence of three straight defeats for struggling Chesterfield, while John McGreal’s men remain in the thick of the promotion hunt going into the second half of the campaign.

The U’s were unchanged for the fourth successive game, with defender Ryan Innis (sore shoulder) again missing out.

Spireites defender Sam Hird put himself under pressure, for the rest of the match, by being booked after just six minutes for a cynical block on Mikael Mandron.

Sammie Szmodics was close to celebrating his 13th goal of the season on eight minutes. Ryan Jackson changed down the right flank and delivered a fine cross in the direction of Szmodics, whose well-measured shot was palmed away by keeper Jake Eastwood.

A minute later and Eastwood’s opposite number, Sam Walker, was saving his own side. Winger Joe Rowley had acres of space inside the penalty area, but his fierce angled drive was blocked by Walker’s legs.

After this flurry of early chances, the play then became disjoined with both teams making countless errors.

Mandron did cross low into the box, following Szmodics’ break in the 28th minute, but Jackson was robbed when on the point of shooting from just 10 yards out.

The Spireites looked sure to break the deadlock in the 32nd minute, when Kane Vincent-Young completely sliced his clearance inside the U’s six yard box.

Rowley was all set to head the loose ball into an unguarded net, from close-in, but he failed to get good contact and Walker was able to claw the header to safety.

Chesterfield had good chances either side of half-time. Livewire Rowley sliced a shot wide in first-half stoppage time, while left-back Jerome Binnom-Williams peppered the target with a 20-yard rocket on 47 minutes.

Binnom-Williams was threatening again in the 57th minute. He charged into box and had a clear sight of goal until Frankie Kent intervened with a superbly-timed challenge.

At the other end, a frustrated Drey Wright was denied a first goal of the season by a fine save from Eastwood, just before the hour mark, while Szmodics drilled a 25-yarder narrowly wide in the 70th minute.

Neither side could fashion a winner during the final quarter of the game.

Squads

CHESTERFIELD: Eastwood, McCourt, Hird, Wiseman, Binnom-Williams, Reed, Weir, Rowley, Dimaio, Kellett, Dennis. Unused subs: Parkin, De Girolamo, Ofoegbu, Mitchell, O’Grady, German, Wakefield.

COLCHESTER: Walker, Jackson, Eastman, Kent, Vincent-Young, Comley, Lapslie, Reid, Wright, Mandron (sub Guthrie, 83), Szmodics (sub Murray, 75). Unused subs: Gilmartin, Hanlan, Slater, Odelusi, Kpewaka.

Referee: Seb Stockbridge (Tyne)

Attendance: 5,537 (257 away fans)