United's under-18s fell to a 2-0 defeat at Creighton on Saturday morning against Chesterfield in the Youth Alliance League.
It was a quiet opening to the game with United dominating possession but unable to break down the Chesterfield defensive line.
After seven minutes, Dan Hopper received the first booking of the game, following a high-footed challenge when competing for the ball.
On 15 minutes, Hayden Atkinson produced a brilliant recovery challenge to deny a threatening opportunity for the Spireites.
However, two minutes later, the visitors were awarded a penalty. A volley inside the 18-yard-box was adjudged to have struck the arm of Jamie Hodgson in an attempt to block the effort.
Thomas Randall was sent the wrong way, as the penalty was converted to give Chesterfield an early lead.
Minutes before the interval, Freddie O'Donoghue drove at the Chesterfield defence weaving past numerous challenges before he went down in the box, but penalty appeals were instantly cut short with the referee awarding a free-kick to the visitors.
Into additional time in the first-half and a Lewis Lambert cross fell to the feet of Dan Hopper, but he skewed his effort high and wide.
HALF-TIME: United 0-1 Chesterfield
Six minutes after the restart, Chesterfield doubled their lead. A turn over of possession fell to the feet of a Chesterfield man who danced through the United defence before an effort from the edge of the box trickled into the corner.
After 68 minutes, Atkinson and Hodgson combined to produce two important blocks to prevent conceding a third goal.
Three minutes later, substitutes Tai Bell and Amaru Smith linked up with a lovely passing move to allow United a chance to threaten the Chesterfield defence, with the ball ending up at the feet of O'Donoghue but his effort was blocked.
With five minutes of normal time remaining, United produced one final chance of the game, once again through O'Donoghue as he found some space 18-yards out, but he couldn't direct his strike on target and it flashed wide of the post.
FULL-TIME: United 0-2 Chesterfield
United - Randall, Chapman, Hodgson, Skinner, Porter (76' Fleming), Atkinson, Rigby (55' Bell), Lowes (55' Murray), Lambert, O'Donoghue, Hopper (55' Smith).
