Chesterfield boosted their 2024-25 League Two play-off ambitions with a clinical 3-0 victory over Bromley at SMH Group Stadium.
Omar Sowunmi was red carded for a 23rd minute lunge on Tom Naylor with Bromley manager, Andy Woodman too dismissed following his protests to the fourth official.
Chesterfield subsequently took advantage of their one-man advantage with a 36th minute curled strike from Armando Dobra.
Substitutes, Ryan Colclough and Paddy Madden wrapped up victory with late strikes in a clinical display for the Spireites.
Chesterfield now sit ninth in the table and six points off the play-off spots, whilst Bromley slipped to 13th position with no wins in their last four league games since a dominant victory at Gillingham on 2 January 2025.
Just one point separated both teams coming into this game with Chesterfield sat eight points adrift of the final play-off spot at kick-off, whilst Bromley were a further point behind the Spireites and made the better start as Louis Dennis forced a fifth minute save from Max Thompson.
Chesterfield soon began to create their own chances and won some set-pieces which came to nothing, whilst Armando Dobra rifled a 15th minute shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
Tempers soon flared and Bromley soon saw their second red card in five games across all competitions as Sowunmi was red carded for a 23rd minute foul on Naylor, having made a reckless lunge on the midfielder following a tussle with Aribim Pepple for a dinking overhead ball.
Bromley’s manager, Woodman was also shown a red card amidst the commotion as he protested Sowunmi’s innocence.
Chesterfield subsequently began to press more and were rewarded nine minutes from half-time as Duffy played a 36th minute cross across to Dobra, who calmly cut along the edge of the box to curl into the far-top right corner to put the Spireites in front.
Dobra and Duffy then saw further chances to extend Chesterfield’s lead denied by Grant Smith as Chesterfield finished the first half on the front foot, before Duffy saw a tightly-angled shot denied by Smith in the second minute of first-half injury-time.
Bromley however began the second half as the better team but Jack Sparkes missed a chance to double Chesterfield’s lead as he fired over in the 56th minute.
Substitute, Colclough eventually wrapped up victory for Chesterfield as he met a 82nd minute pass from Dobra and lashed in off the the underside of the crossbar.
Chesterfield eventually made sure of victory in the first minute of injury-time as Madden broke forward from John Fleck’s pass and blasted into the top-left corner, which left the Spireites sat ninth and six points off the play-off spots.
What’s Next?
Chesterfield head to Cheltenham on Saturday 1 February at 3pm GMT in another mid-table clash for Paul Cook’s Spireites.
Bromley will also be in action at the same time as they host fellow play-off chasers, Grimsby at Hayes Lane as their run of five fixtures in two weeks continue, with trips to Salford then MK Dons to come on 4 and 8 February respectively.
Teams
Chesterfield: Max Thompson, Ryheem Sheckleford, Kyle McFadzean (Metcalfe 81′), Jamie Grimes, Jack Sparkes, Tom Naylor, Darren Oldaker (Fleck 85′), Liam Mandeville, Armando Dobra (Banks), Dylan Duffy (Colclough 70′), Aribim Pepple (Madden 69′)
Substitutes: Ollie Banks, Ryan Boot, Ryan Colclough, John Fleck, Branden Horton, Paddy Madden, Jenson Metcalfe
Bromley: Grant Smith, Omar Sowunmi, Callum Reynolds, Kamarl Grant, Danny Imray, Jude Arthurs (Leigh 57′), Ashley Charles (Whitely 57′), Idris Odutayo (Ilunga 62′), Cameron Congreve (Thompson 57′), Louis Dennis, Michael Cheek (Kabamba 73′)
Substitutes: Brooke Ilunga, Nicke Kabamba, Lewis Leigh, Sam Long, Ben Thompson, Bryon Webster, Corey Whitely
Referee: Ollie Yates
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