With Port Vale starting the game only two places above the relegation zone, the Valiants badly needed three points against mid-table Chesterfield.
Vale did not waste any time in scoring as Stephen Brooker played the ball into Steve McPhee on the edge of the area. He found space and curled the ball over the top of Ben Williams and into the top left-hand corner after only two minutes.
The Valiants added to their tally in the tenth minute when Sean McClare crossed from the right to give Brooker a chance. Although his drive was miraculously saved by Williams, Mark Boyd followed up to score his second goal in two games from ten yards.
Chesterfield looked finished after 15 minutes when McPhee supplied Ian Armstrong out on the left. He wormed his way to the edge of the area before looping the ball home.
Brian Horton's men could not believe their luck three minutes later when Brooker collected a pass from Armstrong and ran 20 yards before finishing with a 12-yard left-footed strike.
The Spireites eventually managed to get into the game and in the 34th minute Glynn Hurst beat the Vale defence with a fine throughball for Rob Edwards to run on to and blast the ball past Mark Goodlad with a left-footed shot.
The half was not over yet and David Reeves jinked his way through a crowded Vale area to supply Marcus Ebdon who fired home from close range.
The fans had to wait a whole 22 minutes into the second half for their next goal when Gareth Davies' slip allowed Boyd to run through. With three defenders snapping at his heels he took his chance beautifully and chipped Williams from just outside the box.
Gutted Chesterfield boss Dave Rushbury said after the game: "It was a night to forget.
"I can only apologise to the fans. I feel it shouldn't be me apologising up here it should be the players. They were like a pub team."