Town: Chris Neal, Dean Holden, Graham Coughlan (c), Craig Disley, Kelvin Langmead, Dave Hibbert, Nathan Elder (Robinson, 66), Paul Murray, Steve Leslie, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (Dunfield, 84), Joss Labadie (McIntyre, 76)

Subs: Terry Dunfield, Jake Robinson, Kris Bright, Andre Gray, Jake Simpson, Andreas Arestidou, Kevin McIntyre

Goal: Leslie 31

Chesterfield: Tommy Lee, Phil Picken, Jamie Lowry, Rob Page, Kevin Austin, Mark Allott, Derek Niven, Jack Lester (Gritton, 90), Ian Breckin (c), Donal McDermott, Drew Talbot (Bowery, 87)

Subs: Gregor Robertson, Martin Gritton, Darren Currie, Paul Harsley, Dan Gray, Jordan Bowery, Mark Crossley

Goal: Lowry 67

Attendance: 5,086 (406 away)

Referee: A Bates

Assistants: J Adcock & M Amphlett

Fourth Official: D Handley

Martin Wild reports from the Prostar Stadium

Paul Simpson shuffles his pack after the midweek disappointment in East London. Kevin McIntyre and Jake Robinson drop to the bench with a recall for Paul Murray and Steve Leslie making his first start of the season.

In bright sunshine at the Prostar, there was almost a sensational start to proceedings. Craig Disley cushioned a neat header onto Dave Hibbert who set himself for a text book right foot volley from just outside the box. It was an even better connection than the one which brought a goal against Ipswich in the recent cup-tie, but somehow Tommy Lee was equal to it and pulled off a quite magnificent flying save.

John Sheridan's men arrive in Shropshire with their tails up, courtesy of successive home wins against Northampton and free-spending Notts County. Having pulled up short in the last two seasons when handily placed in the run-in, Chesterfield will be expected to challenge the top seven places once again. And with the likes of Jack Lester in their ranks - he was joint league scorer with Grant Holt last season - their potential goal threat is all too obvious.

Lester's first showing saw him take up a shooting position in a dangerous area, but Kelvin Langmead read the situation and made a timely intervention to concede the corner.

The visitors were always a danger going forward and Town were guilty of giving away a number of free-kicks in the final third. Still, with 25 minutes already played, only Lee had made a save of any note - though he's unlikely to make a better one this afternoon, or any other, for that matter.

Just over 5,000 were inside the stadium, with the nearby V Festival likely to have attracted some supporters away from their more regular Saturday afternoon pursuits.

After a relatively quiet game in terms of goalmouth activity, Town went ahead just past the half hour, and the goal came from an unlikely source. Dean Holden got to the by-line and sent over an inviting cross for Nathan Elder. The striker completely missed his header, but the ball bounced once and was met by the head of Leslie, who came in on the blind side and found the corner of the net from around fifteen yards or so.

It wasn't that the goal was against the run of play exactly, but the Spireites had looked relatively comfortable as a defensive unit, ever since Hibbert had launched his third minute exocet toward the top corner of their goal.

The referee wasn't making himself Mr. Popular - not that the words popular and referee have ever gone together - with some rather peculiar decisions. An off the ball incident involving Elder and Phil Picken had the West Stand regulars out of their seats - incensed that the match official and his assistant on the far touchline, had both missed the rather obvious infringement. The next award of a free-kick in Town's favour, brought about loud ironic cheers from the home supporters.

A slender lead then at the break, but the Town dressing room was bound to be a happier bunch of campers, than the one which went down the tunnel at Dagenham in midweek.

Half-Time: 1-0

Neither manager saw the need to make any changes during the interval, with Salop attacking the South Stand goal in the second period.

They won a quick free-kick too, and once the referee had marched the Chesterfield wall back the regulatory ten yards, up strode Leslie to stretch Lee with a left foot curler that almost gave the Shrews a dream start.

That Disley/Hibbert combo tried to re-enact that earlier chance but this time Kevin Austin came across to block. The respite was brief because Langmead should have done better with his header from the resultant corner. Unchallenged, the central defender planted a firm header a good yard over the top when central to goal.

The Derbyshire club have yet to score away from home, albeit with only 90 minutes played. They did go close during the opening day defeat at Torquay, where former Town keeper Scott Bevan played a pivotal role in securing the points for the Gulls.

Hibbert glance a header just wide when Shane Cansdell-Sherriff put in some neat work down the left, with the Aussie looking composed having been given the left back shirt with McIntyre's omission from the starting XI.

There was a sniff of a chance for the visitors when Leslie conceded possession. Drew Talbot found Lester at the near post but the marksman couldn't find the target.

There was a good flow to the game now with both sides upping the ante going forward. Disley brought a good save once again from Lee, with an effort from distance that looked destined for the far corner.

Talbot and Lester linked again in the next attack but Chris Neal was alive to the danger and raced from his line to keep Lester at bay.

As Chesterfield continued to advance further into Shrewsbury's defensive third, some kamikaze defending almost brought an equaliser. Thankfully, Derek Niven showed a lack of composure and put the ball over the posts in Johnny Wilkinson stylee, to let Town off.

It had been a really bright opening to the second half, with more entertainment in the first quarter hour, than the first 45 minutes combined. Certainly, Chesterfield were still very much in this game with Shrews' lead still a very narrow one. Langmead was having an exceptional game at the heart of the Town defence with more than one timely intervention when the ball looked set to break to an opposition forward.

Elder was withdrawn midway through the half with Robinson coming on to partner Hibbert, but almost immediately the scores were levelled.

Another questionable decision by the referee allowed Chesterfield to come away with the ball. Donal McDermott - on loan from Manchester City - made a strong burst towards the edge of Town's penalty area and laid the ball off for Jamie Lowry. He checked inside and despite the best efforts of Neal, he found the corner to the delight of the travelling contingent behind that goal.

McDermott has been christened 'Donaldo' by the Chesterfield supporters. He may not quite be the twinkle-toed wing wizard who cost Real Madrid £80m this summer, but the contribution he made in the build-up to the goal, would have been priceless to Sheridan, and now we had a real game on our hands.

Lowry should have buried a 74^th minute chance from close-in when Talbot again created an opening, but he must have taken his eye off the ball for a split second as he missed the target by a country mile.

Town were on the back foot and Simmo made his second change by introducing McIntyre with just less than fifteen minutes remaining. Joss Labadie was the man to come off in a straight swap that saw 'Macca' drop into centre mid.

Town pressed and an inviting low ball across the six yard box was begging for a blue shirt to apply the finishing touch. No-one read it but with ten minutes left, a coat of paint denied the home team. Robinson's penetrative run had the Chesterfield defence backing away and when he finally pulled the trigger, his brilliant curling drive bounced back into play off the far upright. Moments later, Lee fell on another Robinson shot as Salop started to turn the screw.

With the points still up for grabs, McDermott was the latest to chance his arm from long range, but his effort went just wide.

This was a good advert for League Two and perhaps a point apiece would be the fairest outcome. Terry Dunfield saw six minutes action with Cansdell-Sherriff feeling the after effects of a slight knock, which saw McIntyre drop back into the left side of defence.

Both sets of players had expended a good deal of energy but Sheridan resisted the temptation to make any changes - making his first one with just three minutes of play remaining. He made another one in the dying seconds of normal play just before Leslie drove wide of the near post.

Added time was to provide no additional drama, and so the points were shared by two evenly matched sides.

Full-Time: 1-1