FOR a week after the blistering performance against Burnley in the all Lancashire local derby, the North End supporters basked in the glory of it all.
There was now, surely, the prospect of a chase for a place in the play-offs.
The fans responded in the pre-match kickabout and Deepdale echoed to the chants from the terraces.
Deepdale duck went walkabout, waving to the supporters and Chesterfield were about to be put to the sword (on Saturday February 1).
Bring on last season's champions.
That was the script, the only problem was that nobody had given the men from Derbyshire a copy of it.
North End battled hard, but it was Chesterfield who asked the questions in the early exchanges and Kelham O'Hanlon in the Preston goal made a brilliant save to keep out a blockbuster from Kevin Davies.
Preston's build-up was pretty nice to watch as they stroked the ball around the park, but always they went down one cul-de-sac after another, and always the impressive Sean Dyche and Mark Williams stood like a road block to goal.
The second half was very much a repeat of the first with Chesterfield quite content to play five in midfield, soak up the pressure and strike on the break.
With 12 minutes remaining, Chesterfield went in front, Tom Curtis got clear on the right side of the box and although his cross came over in instalments, Andy Morris got a touch to the ball to divert it wide of O'Hanlon and the spirites celebrated.
Preston went close as Ashcroft's shot from the edge of the box-struck the post and stayed out.
Then Ashcroft's drive took a deflection to rattle the cross and Simon Davey could only head the rebound into the keeper's gloves.
It was all over for North End and the league table looks non too impressive with Preston only four points off the drop.
Important away fixtures at Rotherham and Bournemouth now await Preston North End.
How they perform in those matches and what they get from them will influence the hopes and ambitions of everyone connected with Deepdale when they meet up again for the next home match against Wycombe Wanderers.
Watch this space. . . . .
Final score North End 0 Chesterfield 1.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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