FLEETWOOD, England (Interstat) — A late equalizer from substitute Ryan Stirk salvaged a point for Chesterfield in a 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town on Saturday in a League Two match that saw a pivotal red card alter the contest at Highbury Stadium.

The match, the first for both clubs in the 2025-26 English Football League season, played out largely as a tense, tactical affair until a flurry of late drama. The game’s complexion changed drastically in the 61st minute when Chesterfield defender Kyle McFadzean was shown a red card, forcing the visiting Spireites to play the final half-hour a man down.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, it was Fleetwood Town that capitalized first. Veteran forward Ched Evans broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, giving the Cod Army a 1-0 lead. The goal from Evans, a former Wales international, seemed poised to hand the home side all three points as they controlled proceedings against the shorthanded visitors.

Chesterfield, however, displayed resilient character. Against the odds, they found a late response. In the 89th minute, midfielder Ryan Stirk, who had entered the match as a substitute, scored the leveling goal to stun the home crowd and secure a share of the spoils at 1-1.

The final result aligned perfectly with the pre-match projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 1-1 draw. Their ELO rating system had given Fleetwood Town a narrow 50.30 percent probability of victory, underscoring the anticipated closeness of the fixture.

With the draw, both clubs open their League Two campaigns with identical records of zero wins, zero losses and one draw. Their overall records across all competitions for the young season also stand at 0-0-1. The point on the road will likely feel more valuable for Chesterfield, given they played nearly 30 minutes with only 10 men. For Fleetwood Town, it will be viewed as a missed opportunity to secure a victory after taking a lead against a disadvantaged opponent.

The match served as an early-season indicator of the competitive nature expected in England’s fourth tier. The sending off of McFadzean proved to be the critical incident, but Chesterfield’s determined fightback, capped by Stirk’s late heroics, ensured the teams parted evenly. Both sides will look to build on the result and seek their first win of the season in upcoming fixtures.