Martin Gritton with two goals helped maintain the Silkmen's recent impressive run at a rain swept Saltergate this evening.
Further goals from Lee Bell, his first for the club and substitute Gareth Evans helped secure all three points with the dangerous Jamie Ward netting twice for the home side.
With swirling rain whipping around the ground it certainly was not a night for the faint hearted when the game kicked off. With Paul Morgan not recovered from illness, Izak Reid came in for suspended Matthew Flynn in an otherwise unchanged side.
On the bench, Jamie Tolley returned alongside Rooney, Evans, Jennings and Green.
With both sides struggling to adapt to the conditions, the home side had the benefit of the strong wind behind their back in the first half. An early challenge on Nat Brown escaped a booking with the referee perhaps making allowance for the skiddy surface.
But despite playing into the wind, the first real chance fell the way of the Silkmen. Sean Hessey played a lovely ball into an advancing Danny Thomas out on the left. Advancing twenty yards the winger put in a tempting cross to Martin Gritton. Straining his neck to get over the ball the big centre forward saw his header flash just wide.
Quick thinking from Rob Page momentarily had Jon Brain back peddling when the centre half tried his luck from well inside his own half from a free kick. But the wind assisted attempt sailed over the bar.
It was Macc who were looking the more composed and adapting to the conditions and had another good chance when an increasingly influential Gritton played a neat ball through to Simon Yeo who was just beaten to the ball by the Spireites keeper.
Yeo was also to feature again moments later, but his through run was halted by a blatant body check by Rob Page that warranted a card. But again referee Hooper opted for a quiet word in the defender's ear.
But any sense of injustice was forgotten on 23 minutes when Martin Gritton grabbed a deserved goal. Receiving the ball out on the right on his chest, he had the confidence to take on his defender, who once committed allow Gritton to coolly curl the ball to the right of Carson to put the Silkmen in front. It was an assured finish from a player clearly confident after his recent run of goals.
Two minutes later the lead had been doubled. Izak Reid made up ground and when the ball was cleared, Lee Bell reacted quickest to close down Austin and was rewarded when the blocked ball fell at his feet and he whipped a delighted shot into the top right hand corner.
They say you are at you most vulnerable when you have just scored and that was almost the case when Jamie Ward fired low at Jon Brain after a cross had flashed across the area. But the keeper saved well with his feet to avert the danger.
With cries of 'Richo Out' echoing around the ground it was easy to see how the Spireites had kept two clean sheets all season, the last coming in early September.
Sean Hessey found his way into the book for his 1st offence on the half hour mark, a seemingly harsh decision in light of the leniency shown earlier to Rob Page. From the resultant free kick the ball was played to Winter who thumped a shot from a good 35 yards that stung Jon Brain's hands. But he was able to parry the shot and collect the ball without any danger.
The Silkmen's skipper then gifted the home side a lifeline. Miss-judging an aimless ball up field, his attempt to head back to his keeper was always going to be short. The pacy Ward took his chance and fired a first time shot past a stranded Brain.
Lloyd Kerry received a yellow card for a late foul on Terry Dunfield before on 44 minutes the Silkmen thought they had restored their two goal lead. Dunfield whipped a inswinging free kick into the box that found its way to Nat Brown. The big man should have done better from eight yards out but saw his shot blocked. As the ball span towards goal, Martin Gritton headed home but quite rightly was adjudged offside.
Moments later, and seconds before the half time whistle the Silkmen had a nervous few moments when Dunfield was penalised for leading with his elbow. Thankfully the referee opted for just a yellow, his 5th of the season and one that will see him suspended for one game (more than likely the visit of Dagenham).
H/T Chesterfield 1 Silkmen 2
Within 30 seconds of the restart the home side could have been back on terms. The dangerous Ward, whilst looking offside, was free on goal but unable to beat Jon Brain who saved well.
It was the wake up call the Silkmen needed and could have scored from the very next attack. After good work from Nat Brown, Danny Thomas would have been disappointed with his effort from six yards that he seemed to snatch at through a crowd of players.
Growing in confidence the Spireites increasing looked to exploit the pace of Ward and the undoubted skill of Jack Lester. Last season's top scorer in League Two had his best chance on 52 minutes but blazed over the bar.
Keith Alexander made his first change on 55 minutes, Gareth Evans on for Simon Yeo who had struggled to make any real impact on the night. Sixty seconds later the Silkmen had restored their two goal lead.
First half goalscorer Lee Bell played a delightful chip over the advancing Spireites defence to Martin Gritton, who through a combination of chin and chest, was able to bring the ball down and poke the ball past Carson as he rushed off his line.
Any thoughts the game had been won were premature when Ward appeared through on goal. But good work from Ahmed Deen saw the front man forced out wide and the chance had gone.
But Ward was to get his second on 67 minutes. A lovely ball from Jack Lester to the diminutive striker, gave him the chance to show why so many sides are rumoured to be interested in securing his services in the January Transfer Window.
With Shaun Brisley at close quarters, Ward engineered space and fired a sweet shot past Jon Brain. But ten minutes later the game was all over as a contest. And it was route one all the way this time.
Jon Brain's long kick evaded all apart from Gareth Evans who timed his run well and beat the advancing Carson to the ball on the left hand edge of the box. The young striker lifted the ball over the keeper and saw his ball bounce over the line and high into the net.
Francis Green and James Jennings came on to replace Danny Thomas and Martin Gritton and Green showed good energy to chase a lost ball and deliver a cross in that, after being cleared was laid to Gareth Evans, who head down, thumped a shot that seemed to be heading into the bottom right hand corner. But Carson saved well.
But Green blotted his copybook and the night's result when he became the 9th Silkmen to receive his marching orders this season. Having been flagged offside, Green was involved in an ugly scuffle with Goodhall well into injury time. It left the referee with no alternative with both shown the red card. Depending on the referee's report, the striker may well be looking at a three game ban.
It was the only disappointment on a night that saw the Silkmen climb three places in the table and show once again they have the character and skill to mount a play-off challenge in the New Year.
