Chesterfield: Barry Roche, Phil Picken, Peter Hartley (Cooper, 46), Colin Hawkins, Aaron Downes, Jamie Lowry, David Dowson (Kerry, 90), Peter Leven, Derek Niven, Jamie Ward, Steve Fletcher (Dyer, 82)

Subs: Jamie Anderson, Lloyd Kerry, Bruce Dyer, Janos Kovacs, Kevin Cooper

Town: Glyn Garner, Darren Moss, Graeme Lee (Ryan, 72), Dave Hibbert, Ben Herd, Ben Davies, Luke Jones, Steve Leslie (Madjo, 55), Marc Tierney, Michael Barnes (Humphrey, 55), Kevin McIntyre

Subs: James Constable, Chris Humphrey, Guy Madjo, Scott Bevan, Jimmy Ryan

Ref: D Drysdale
Assistants: P Bramley, R Madley
Fourth Official: P Martin

Att: 3,570 (368 away)

Martin Wild reports from Saltergate

Paul Simpson is forced into making a change with Darren Moss coming in to replace Andy Cooke, who is carrying a knock. Dave Hibbert looks to be the lone striker while Moss is expected to bolster the midfield.

Town kicked off attacking the end of Saltergate which houses the visiting supporters, and the fans appeared in good voice from the outset. Long shadows were cast across the pitch with the games early stages being played out in brilliant sunshine.

Luke Jones and Ben Herd got into a tangle on 8 minutes which ended with David Dowson springing clear, but his run was checked by Graeme Lee who rightly had his name taken for the foul.

The Spireites came close to going in front shortly after when Steve Fletcher created an opening for Jamie Ward. Ward - second only to the injured Jack Lester in the Derbyshire sides scoring charts - turned well and forced Glyn Garner into an impressive save at full stretch to his left.

Shrews had an even luckier escape when the linesman's flag was raised to save Marc Tierney's blushes. The left back seemed to hesitate waiting for possibly a call from his goalkeeper which never came. Jamie Lowry pounced and poked the ball into the net but the offside decision went in favour of Paul Simpson's men.

Ward and Fletcher both ensured that Garner was kept busy but at the halfway point of the opening period, Town were still in the hunt.

The weather conditions had deteriorated with the hardy band of Shrewsbury followers getting a soaking on the open terracing. But good wing play by Michael Barnes and a snapshot from Dave Hibbert which won a corner, gave them the chance to warm their hands at least.

Moss was the third player to be yellow carded - Fletcher had been cautioned for a late challenge on Barnes - as the game became a little fractious, with Dowson following into Mr. Drysdale's book moments later after felling Herd. The booking infuriated the home support but the good news was the sun had come out again!

Chesterfield had the best of the first 45, but Town's performance had been gritty with captain Ben Davies leading by example - and for that alone, they had earned the right to go in level.

HT: 0-0

The second half got off to a disastrous start for the away side when Dowson scored only his second goal of the season to break the deadlock. His low right footed shot from the edge of the box found the corner of the net to put Salop behind, and increase their fears of being dragged deeper into the relegation picture.

Minutes later and Garner was picking the ball out of his goal for a second time. Steve Leslie's weak header landed perfectly for Ward who smashed a rising volley from almost 20 yards past the Welshman to double Chesterfield's advantage.

Simpson immediately sent Guy Madjo, James Constable and Chris Humphrey from the comfort of the dugout to begin their rigorous warm-ups as if changes were imminent, as they sought to salvage through the wreckage of the opening 5 minutes of the half. Madjo and Humphrey were first into the fray replacing Leslie and Barnes respectively.

It was going to take something of seismic proportions to rescue anything from the game despite the manager's response to falling behind. The game ended as a contest before an hour was on the clock when Ward broke clear of a static Town defence, to bury the ball into the bottom corner to make it three - and double his tally for the afternoon.

The last time Town went 3-0 down they conjoured up an amazing fightback to share the spoils with MK Dons. On this occasion you sensed the ghost had been well and truly given up with Chesterfield threatening to score every time they ventured into the opposition half.

Humphrey put an angled drive wide of the target but in truth, home keeper Barry Roche had been largely untroubled throughout. The winless run would extend to 14 matches and you had to feel for the 368 Town fans who had been given little or nothing in the way of encouragement from their side.

With nine minutes left Kevin McIntyre gave Town the tiniest glimmer of hope by smashing a superb left foot drive into the top corner from distance to register his first goal in Town colours. It looked to be too little too late but temporarily woke the visiting fans from their collective slumbers.

Chesterfield were in no mood to surrender any points as they continued in their quest to forge a way into the play-off places. Dowson scored again in stoppage time - again from distance - to compound the misery.

This was very much a bad day at the office for Shrewsbury Town Football Club. They won't need me to remind them that as each game passes by, so the gap continues to close, with Mansfield in particular capitalising on this catastrophic run of results since Christmas. A week ago the gap to 23rd place was ten points. Tonight, it's down to six.

FT: 1-4