Notts County manager Neal Ardley rued a lack of "spark" as the Magpies suffered their first defeat since September.
The Magpies were beaten 1-0 by Chesterfield on Saturday night as Gevaro Nepomuceno's first-half goal sealed all three points for John Sheridan's side.
It was the Spireites' only shot on target in the entire game which saw Notts dominate possession for large spells but struggled to create any clear-cut chances.
And Ardley admitted that his side couldn't find that killer pass in the final third as they slipped to eighth in the National League table.
“I’m not disappointed with the performance,” said Ardley.
"I thought we were by far the better team and played good stuff.
“Our crossing was poor, though. Too many times we were in good positions but put the ball behind or into the goalkeeper’s hands.
“We need to take more risks in the final third. The patterns we work on get us through the first two and then it’s up to the lads to play with that freedom.
“I can’t fault the effort or cohesion, we just lacked the cutting edge and the quality.
"Too many of our matchwinners didn’t have the spark that makes a difference.”
