On Saturday 1st January 2011, I was back at the B2Net Stadium to watch top of the league Chesterfield take on struggling Stockport County.

Chesterfield came in to the new year top of League 2 and looking to extend their lead further. Today’s opponents were Stockport County, who sat dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Before the game, I met Spireite legend Ernie Moss, who is Chesterfield’s all time leading goal scorer and his ex team mate from the 70’s and 80’s Sean O’Neill. I had pictures with both, and Ernie was showing me his brick that reads ‘Ernie Ernie Ernie’, in the wall outside the stadium.

I also met Stockport manager Paul Simpson as he made his way in to the stadium. Ironically, I also met him at my first game of 2010, when he was manager of Shrewsbury Town.

Today’s attendance was 7,542 and the Hatters brought a healthy following of 879 on their first ever visit to the B2Net Stadium.

Jack Lester got the Spireites off to an ideal start, when he headed the ball home after just 13 minutes. However, a Dwayne Mattis own goal cancelled it out just 6 minutes later.

After an exciting first 20 minutes, the two teams cancelled each other out for the rest of the first half.

Jack Lester restored the home sides lead with a quality goal just after the hour mark. Lester beat two men and chipped the ball past the Stockport keeper to make it 2-1.

Lester completed his hat-trick 5 minutes later with close range goal, and Craig Davies got his name on the score sheet again with a quality long range effort just before the final whistle.

This win got Chesterfield off to the new year perfectly, and put them 4 points clear of 2nd place in the League 2 table.

After the game I got my photo with both goalscorers, Craig Davies and hat-trick hero Jack Lester. I also met Stockport’s Mansour Assoumoni.