Chesterfield held on to secure a 3-2 win over Sheffield United in League One this afternoon in a match which saw both sides reduced to 10 men before half time.
Both sides had chances in the opening 20 minutes, with Daniel Jones slicing the ball high for the hosts before Jamie Murphy had an effort blocked for the Blades.
Chesterfield broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Jimmy Ryan unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the box, picking out the top left corner.
Thing got worse for the visitors a few minutes later when Michael Higdon was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Jones, earning the United striker a straight red.
The hosts were also down to 10 men before half time when goalkeeper Tommy Lee brought down Ryan Flynn outside the box, but as Lee was the last man he was also shown the red card.
Murphy was unable to get Nigel Clough's men back on level terms with the resulting free kick though, allowing Gary Roberts to head down the other and slot the ball in with a low finish.
Paddy McCarthy tried to get the Sheffield side back into the match with a long-range effort early in the second half, but the 35-yard strike was blocked.
Chesterfield soon started to see the majority of the possession again, and were able to extend the lead inside the last 20 minutes as Eoin Doyle smashed the ball in from a Daniel Johnson delivery.
Development squad keeper Myles Wright, who came on for his Chesterfield debut after Lee's dismissal, gifted United a goal back late on when he fumbled a stop, allowing Marc McNulty to poke it in.
The visitors continued to push into stoppage time and scored again when Neil Collins headed in from a free kick to set up a tense final couple of minutes, but the hosts managed to hold on.
The result moves Chesterfield up to fourth in the table, while Sheffield United are eighth.
Sian Cowper
