Accrington Stanley narrowly lost to League Two play-off hopefuls Chesterfield at the Wham Stadium on Saturday.
Will Dickson struck in the second half for Paul Cook’s side, but Stanley did force Spireites keeper Ryan Boot into a number of saves.
The return of Tyler Walton was a huge boost - he played the final 13 minutes for the Reds after a lengthy injury.
Donald Love returned after suspension with Isaac Sinclair also back in the starting XI after a six-week injury lay-off. Walton was back in the squad for the first time since November, while Paddy Madden and Luke Butterfield could not play against their parent club.
Stanley started on the front foot, forcing Chesterfield into defending for the first 10 minutes. The best chance fell to Shaun Whalley whose sixth-minute free-kick was pushed away by keeper Boot.
The Reds had a superb chance on 26 minutes with a Love far-post header just over the bar, while Sinclair broke forward two minutes later but could not find the target.
Chesterfield’s first real chance came on 35 minutes when Kyle McFadzean hit the woodwork from a corner.
From the resulting corner, Tom Naylor’s header was kept out by Ollie Wright and Malik Owolabi-Belewu’s follow-up was blocked.
Former Blackburn man Dilan Markanday’s fierce strike on 45 minutes was also pushed out by Wright.
Stanley began pressing after the restart with Charlie Brown’s shot caught by Boot in the 57th minute.
However Chesterfield’s McFadzean was not far off with a header on 59 minutes.
The visitors broke the deadlock on 63 minutes when Naylor’s low cross was fired home by Dickson from close range.
David Abimbola came on on the hour mark as Stanley looked for the equaliser.
It was the Spireites, though, who then pressed, forcing a succession of corners around the 68-minute mark with Stanley on the defensive.
The woodwork saved the Reds again on 75 minutes with a Lee Bonis strike bouncing against the post and out.
Walton replaced Seamus Conneely on 77 minutes in a welcome return to action for the forward.
And his first action was to force a save out of Boot in the 78th minute as the Reds looked to level up.
Josh Woods also stung the hands of Boot with a long-range strike while, from a corner, the Reds had an effort blocked at the near post as they came so close but could not find the equaliser.
Stanley: Wright, Love, Rawson, Matthews, O’Brien, Conneely (Walton), Martin (Sass), Brown, Whalley, Sinclair (Abimbola), Woods. Subs not used: Kelly, Smith, Hall, Tunstall.
Attendance: 2,688 (836 away).
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