Spireites Fall to Capital One Cup Defeat.
Chesterfield fell to a 3-1 defeat after extra-time against Carlisle United at Brunton Park in the first round of this year’s Capital One Cup, as Jabo Ibehre’s two separate strikes and Kevin Osei’s incredible finish rendered Emmanuel Dieseruvwe’s second-half equaliser completely meaningless. Dieseruvwe, in the first 15-minute period of extra-time, was dismissed after a suspected elbow during an aerial challenge which obviously added insult to injury for the Spireites.
Dean Saunders made a total of two changes from Saturday’s three-point haul against Barnsley, with Charlie Raglan and Armand Gnanduillet taking the places of both Drew Talbot and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
In the opening moments, Gnanduillet tried his luck from close range only to be denied by an impressive clearance on the line by a member of the hosts’ defence. Moments later, Steven Rigg connected with a driven cross from the right-hand side and directed his headed effort waywardly wide of the post.
Involved once again, Gnanduillet aimed to meet a driven cross with his head but was denied in the end as an opposing defender anticipated any potential danger and cleared the ball to safety. After taking up free-kick duties, Jay O’Shea aimed to test the resolve of opposing goalkeeper Mark Gillespie with his strike from range but the Irishman fired straight into the stands.
Bastien Hery took matters into his own hands with a lone run that culminated in a curled attempt that forced a strong diving save to the left-hand side by Tommy Lee. Just before the half-time whistle, Danny Grainger struck a free-kick towards goal from around 25 yards and forced an impressive save from a resolute Lee.
After the break, Gboly Ariyibi met a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a powerful effort that cannoned against the body of Sam Hird and bounced out of play for a goal-kick. Taking the initiative, O’Shea beat his marker before striking low and narrowly wide of Gillespie’s post from an awkward angle.
Sam Morsy was next to take up free-kick duties in a more than inviting position, but the midfielder’s attempt left much to be desired as it failed to trouble Gillespie in the slightest. Gnanduillet’s speculative effort that followed from an unrealistic distance lacked any kind of conviction and eventually trickled into the grasp of Gillespie who then instigated another attack.
With 76 minutes on the clock, the Cumbrians opened the scoring through Ibehre’s towering header that beat Lee all-ends-up before nestling straight into the bottom right-hand corner of the net from around 12 yards. Just nine minutes had passed before the Spireites grabbed the goal that would send the contest into extra-time, as Dieseruvwe received a Jake Orrell pass on the edge of the area and finished convincingly past a flailing Gillespie.
A single minute had been played in the first period of extra-time when Dieseruvwe was dismissed after leading with his elbow into an aerial challenge. Two impressive finishes, in the 108th and 120th minute from both Ibehre and Osei confined the Spireites to a defeat on the road whilst ending their participation in the Capital One Cup for another year.
