Chesterfield Hockey Club mens 1st XI opened their league campaign with a hard fought 2-0 win away at Kingston upon Hull — and, perhaps more tellingly, keeping their first clean sheet in four years, giving returning head coach Christian Battye the perfect start to the season.

It was a cagey opening half, with both sides testing the other's defence, but neither able to find a breakthrough with most opportunities arising from penalty corners for both sides. The half ended in stalemate.

The game's defining moment came just after the break, when Hull were awarded a penalty stroke — only for Chesterfield goal-keeper Matt Drohan to parry the ball onto the crossbar ; a superb save that swung the momentum decisively in Chesterfield's favour.
Six minutes later, Alex Mycroft made the visitors' mounting pressure count, with a low drilled drag flick into the bottom corner in the 50th minute to break the deadlock.

Chesterfield were able to create several further half chances including a diving attempt from Ben Truby and Ted Murray narrowly missing wide a wrap-around shot. However, Jack Hartley soon doubled the lead in the 68th minute flicking the ball into the roof well above the Hull keepers' out-stretched stick, capping off a performance built on free-flowing, front-foot hockey throughout.
Chesterfield consistently pressured Hull and showed determination to get a result in their favour.

Will Beardshall was named man of the match, his reading of the game, well timed tackles and composed distribution from the back helped give Chesterfield control for long spells. It was, by all accounts, a "solid" team performance — and a statement of intent from Battye's first game back in charge.

Chesterfield will hope to carry the momentum into their next fixture against Newcastle Hockey Club as the new season takes shape.