A misty autumn morning, an early start and a 180-mile round trip stood between Chesterfield and another cup victory. There was certainly something eerie in the air as the squad arrived, with a neighbouring graveyard providing the perfect backdrop for the occasion. Sporting the new away kit of white shirts, Chesterfield looked less like a hockey team and more like a particularly unfriendly gathering of ghosts, come to haunt the Lincolnshire countryside.

Chesterfield started brightly, applying early pressure, although it was somewhat against the run of play when the opening goal arrived. A clearance from a Louth defender was expertly redirected by Luke Spyra, who came charging into the circle like the serial killer in a low-budget teenage horror film. The goalkeeper barely had time to register the danger before the ball was nestling in the net.

The second soon followed, Femi Colton producing a neat finish into the corner from close range to leave the home side looking increasingly haunted. Things got even better when a lovely move down the right opened up the Louth defence, the ball finding Joe Bamford, who made no mistake, firing into the bottom corner. Three goals, three different victims and Chesterfield firmly in control.

3–0 at half-time, and the dressing-room message was simple: don't let them back into the game with an early goal. Unfortunately, somebody clearly forgot to tell the defence that this was the plan, as barely five minutes into the second half Louth pulled one back with a well-worked goal.

The home side sensed an opportunity and began to push forward, stretching the game and making life increasingly uncomfortable. Tempers started to rise, tackles became a little more agricultural and the contest developed into a proper cup battle. Chesterfield, however, refused to be dragged into the abyss and continued to battle for every ball.

Theo Colton deserves particular mention for a first-half performance that was nothing short of supernatural. Repelling shots like silver bullets against a marauding werewolf, Theo produced a series of outstanding saves to keep the home side at bay. Had it not been for his heroics, this could have been a very different story, particularly given the pressure Louth applied later in the game.

The decisive moment arrived when Ellis Edwards was unceremoniously scythed down by the Louth goalkeeper, who appeared to have taken a few too many lessons from the Grim Reaper's handbook. The resulting penalty was calmly dispatched by Femi Colton, completing his brace and delivering the final stake through the heart of Louth's hopes of a comeback.

On the sidelines, John McColumn, otherwise known as the Angel of Death, watched proceedings with quiet satisfaction. Thankfully, his services weren't required on this occasion, although he was sensibly conserving his energy for what was likely to be a busy Halloween night ahead.

And so Chesterfield's conquest of Lincolnshire was complete. There was perhaps some historical inevitability about it. On 11 October 1643, Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax helped secure a decisive Parliamentarian victory at the Battle of Winceby, effectively breaking Royalist control of Lincolnshire. Nearly 383 years later, Chesterfield's own travelling army returned to the county and delivered another decisive defeat. History doesn't always repeat itself, but apparently it does enjoy a good cup run.

A thoroughly deserved 4–1 victory in what was a highly competitive encounter. The ghosts of Chesterfield had done their job, leaving Louth to contemplate what horrors might have been lurking in the next round.

Next week, normal service resumes as Chesterfield return to league action against local rivals Worksop. No graveyards, no ghosts, hopefully just the usual hockey-related nightmares.