Nnamdi Ofoborh’s 65th-minute strike sealed victory for the Bees on home soil, confirming back-to-back victories and clean sheet for the Bees.
Dean Brennan made one change to the team that beat Accrington Stanley on Tuesday Night, with Diallang Jaiyesimi replacing Jack Howland in the starting eleven.
Britt Assombalonga returned to take his place on the bench, while Dennis Adeniran dropped out of the matchday squad.
The Spireites threatened from the off and got the ball into the Bees’ box on numerous occasions inside the opening couple of minutes, with Liam Mandeville sending an effort into the side netting.
The first corner for the visitors was swung in as they searched for an early opener, but Romoney Crichlow headed the danger away and Lee Bonis guided a header wide of the post from a free-kick as the pressure was piled on from Paul Cook’s side.
With a throw in inside the Chesterfield half for the Bees, the ball fell to Nnamdi Ofoborh who worked it well before flashing it across goal, but Ryan Glover couldn’t meet it and the referee blew for a foul on the edge of the box for the Blues.
Danny Collinge looped the ball over to Glover from defence in a bid to kick start an attack, but it ran away from the winger before he could make any contact.
As we entered the half-way stage of the first 45, Chesterfield overloaded the Bees’ box yet again, but the back-line did well to deny the visitors an opportunity.
Ofoborh worked the ball into the box and managed to get a shot away from close-range, but a Blue shirt blocked the effort.
Barnet launched a counter-attack, with Kabongo Tshimanga holding the ball up, before laying it off to Collinge who took the ball to the byline. Our captain found Ofoborh on the edge of the area, who was urged to shoot by the Bees’ supporters, but instead chose to find Glover out on the right-hand side, but his delivery was deflected out for a throw in.
The Bees grew into the game as the half progressed. Idris Kanu delivered a beautiful ball into the back post and found Tshimanga, but the number 20’s touch sent the ball out of play and despite being held back by a Chesterfield defender, referee William Davis wasn’t interested.
Ben Winterburn whipped in a free-kick from a dangerous position and the ball somehow evaded every shirt in the area before heading wide.
The Bees best chance of the half came minutes before the break, when Crichlow’s headed pass found Collinge, who connected with the ball and struck it goalwards, but he couldn’t keep it down and it ricocheted off the bar.
The final move before the referee blew his whistle for half-time saw Cieran Slicker’s ball fall nicely in front of Tshimanga. Our number 20 placed the ball over the head of Zach Hemming, but instead of landing in the empty net, it was agonisingly wide.
Half-time: Barnet FC 0-0 Chesterfield
The Bees started brightly following the restart. Winterburn’s corner from out on the right met Callum Stead who was unmarked in the area, but he was unable to control it and before he could, a Chesterfield foot booted the ball away.
The visitors then launched a counter-attack, with the final movement coming from Dilan Markanday, who struck the ball cleanly, but it was well wide of the left post.
Barnet came so close to opening the scoring when Glover sent the ball in from the right-hand side, but Crichlow couldn’t guide his header on target.
Continuing to search for the first goal of the tie, the ball fell nicely to Collinge who was furthest forward in the box, but the offside flag was up quickly.
Barnet were rewarded in the 65th minute when Ofoborh found the back of the net from inside the area. The ball came in from Winterburn who found his midfield partner unmarked and our number 28 hit a powerful effort into the roof of the net to give us the lead.
Chesterfield looked to level proceedings, with Armando Dobra taking aim from the byline, but Slicker punched the ball away before gathering the second attempt from the Spireites number 17.
With 15 minutes to go, our first change of the afternoon saw Jaiyesimi replaced by Anthony Hartigan.
The midfielder’s first action of the game was a corner, which he delivered into the mix, with Crichlow unable to create danger with his header and the ball eventually fell for Ofoborh outside the area, but he struck his effort wide.
With less than ten minutes left on the clock, Glover found Winterburn in the area and our number 16 edged closer to the Chesterfield goal before trying to get a shot away, but a Chesterfield shirt slid in to deny the midfielder.
Phillip Chinedu replaced Winterburn in the final moments, before four additional minutes were put up on the fourth official’s board.
Our final substitution of the afternoon saw Oli Hawkins come on in place of Tshimanga.
In our final chance of the tie, Chinedu charged down the left-hand side, before putting the ball into the area for Glover to meet, but our number 15 was unable to meet it and it headed out for a Spireites throw, before Davis blew his whistle to signal the conclusion of the game.
Full-time: Barnet FC 1-0 Chesterfield
Line-up: Slicker, Collinge, Senior, Jaiyesimi (Hartigan, 75’), Stead, Kanu, Glover, Winterburn (Chinedu, 89’), Tshimanga (Hawkins, 90+4’), Crichlow, Ofoborh
Goals: Ofoborh, (65’)
Attendance: 2,901, with 887 visitors