The Hatters fell to their first league defeat of 2018 as Chesterfield ran out 2-0 winners at the Proact Stadium this afternoon.
Joe Rowley fired in from Robbie Weir's cross after 19 minutes to give Jack Lester's side the lead, before they doubled their advantage when Jak McCourt fired in from the penalty spot after James Justin was deemed to have fouled Zavon Hines six minutes later.
Town started with the diamond in midfield, with Akin Famewo's impressive midweek performance against Peterborough United enough to earn the 19-year-old his first league start of the season, whilst Elliot Lee came in for the injured Danny Hylton, who missed out due to a tight hamstring.
Chesterfield settled into the game quickly, moving the ball around nicely, but it was the Hatters who had the first real chance of the game, as Aaron Ramsdale doing well to deny Andrew Shinnie at his near post from close range with 15 minutes on the clock, after the Scotsman had been played through by Elliot Lee.
The hosts then took the lead in fine fashion four minutes later, when Rowley got on the end of Weir's low ball into the box from the right, smashing it into the bottom right corner from six yards.
The Spireites had their second 25 minutes in – referee Carl Boyeson pointed to the spot after he adjudged Justin to have tripped Hines in the box as the former West Ham man cut in from the left. McCourt was the man to take it and he dispatched it into the bottom right corner, sending Stech the wrong way to give Jack Lester's side a two-goal cushion.
Shinnie should have halved the deficit ten minutes later after some excellent work on the right from Elliot Lee – the striker nutmegged a defender before teeing up Shinnie eight yards from goal, but he caught it wrong and the ball flew harmlessly over Ramsdale's goal.
After a slow start to the second half, Stech was on hand to keep out Louis Reed's effort on the hour mark, as the Chesterfield midfielder let fly from 25 yards – the keeper diving to his right to palm it away from danger.
The Hatters had it in the back of the net after James Collins picked out Elliot Lee with a quick free-kick, the 23-year-old tapping it through for Harry Cornick to cross in low from the left, Collins tucked it away, but Cornick was offside.
With five minutes remaining, Johnny Mullins powered down the right, before swinging in an excellent cross for Elliot Lee who guided it towards the top left corner, but Ramsdale was able to palm it down before gathering.
Jordan Cook's rasping effort from 25 yards gave Ramsdale something to think about as the keeper did well to get two strong hands on the ball to push it out for a corner with two minutes to go – but the hosts saw out the game to take all three points.
The result sees the Hatters remain top of Sky Bet League Two, now three points clear of second placed Notts County.
Chesterfield: Ramsdale, Talbot, Nelson, Maguire, Weir, Reed, McCourt (Dimaio 90+3), Kay, Hines (Binnom-Williams 83), O'Grady, Rowley.
Subs: Parkin, De Girolamo, Dimaio, Kellett, Ofoegbu, Binnom-Williams, Wakefield.
Goal: Rowley 19, McCourt 25
Yellows: Kay, Maguire
Town: Stech, Justin, Mullins, Famewo, Potts, Rea, Berry, Olly Lee (Cornick 28), Berry, Shinnie (Mpanzu 84), Collins (Cook 84), Elliot Lee.
Subs: Stacey, Cook, Cornick, Mpanzu, Senior, D'Ath Shea.
Yellow: Elliot Lee,
ATTENDANCE: 5,715
AWAY: 1,244