Rotherham United beat Chesterfield 2-1 in League Two on Saturday. The hosts took the lead early and held on despite spending most of the match under pressure. It was a match decided by three moments rather than sustained dominance from either side.
Fábio Tavares opened the scoring in the twelfth minute. Chesterfield responded with increased pressure but Rotherham's defence held firm through the first half. Tom Bradshaw missed a penalty in the forty-first minute, and that chance might have shifted the momentum entirely.
Chesterfield controlled possession at sixty-eight percent but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. They registered only two shots on target compared to Rotherham's four. The visitors had no corners and relied on open play to break through.
The decisive period came after the hour mark. Liam Mandeville converted a penalty in the eighty-eighth minute to level things up. Then Paul Mullin struck in stoppage time to complete the turnaround.
Rotherham moved to five points from four games and sit in thirteenth place. Chesterfield remain on four points in sixteenth, a result that extends their winless run to two matches.