Chesterfield finally bowed out of this year's FA Cup following a 3-0 defeat against Coca-Cola Championship side Ipswich.

The League Two outfit - given a reprieve after being eliminated by Droylsden - were well beaten in the third-round tie at Portman Road, with goals from Jon Walters, Pablo Counago and Jon Stead.

The visitors were reinstated by the Football Association last week after the Conference North side were found to have fielded an ineligible player in their second-round victory - settled after four games between the teams.

Ipswich made two changes following their victory over Derby last week, with David Wright and Counago replacing Moritz Volz and Kevin Lisbie.

For the visitors, boss Lee Richardson named the same starting line-up that played out a scoreless draw with Darlington in their last outing.

Following a cagey opening, in the first competitive meeting between the two sides, visiting goalkeeper Tommy Lee was called into action to save bravely at the feet of Tommy Miller.

Chesterfield's 16-goal striker Jamie Ward came close soon after with a low drive tipped around the post by Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright.

There was a halt in play midway through the first half as referee Keith Hill limped out of action, to be replaced by fourth official Gary Sutton.

Jamie Winter blasted a 30-yard free-kick well over the crossbar for Chesterfield, while Ward fired wide as he tried to lob Wright with an audacious 40-yard dipping drive.

Winger Danny Haynes came off the bench on the half-hour mark, replacing a limping Miller, and immediately injected some pace into the home side.

Counago fired just over following a sharp turn inside the box, while Haynes stung the hands of Lee with a rasping cross-shot.

Ipswich broke the deadlock on 50 minutes via a Walters penalty, after Chesterfield full-back Phil Picken was adjudged to have handled an Alan Quinn cross.

The visitors had a great chance to level straight from the restart as Wright saved a close-range effort from Lloyd Kerry following a scramble in the box. Ward went down under a challenge from Ivan Campo as the ball broke loose but the visitors' penalty appeals were ignored.

In a frenetic opening to the second half, Ipswich then doubled their lead through Counago on 53 minutes. The Spaniard guided the ball home after Quinn knocked down a Haynes cross.

Substitute Stead, on for Quinn in the 60th minute, went close to extending Ipswich's advantage but his curling shot was palmed away by Lee.

Chesterfield nearly halved the deficit on 73 minutes but Kerry's diving header from a Ward cross was well saved by Wright.

But Stead put the tie out of their reach on 89 minutes, driving in a Walters knockdown from close range.

Teams

Ipswich: Richard Wright, David Wright (Bruce 69), McAuley, Campo, Thatcher, Norris, Shumulikoski, Miller (Haynes 30), Quinn (Stead 60), Walters, Counago.

Subs Not Used: Supple, Balkestein, Rhodes, Wickham.

Booked: Shumulikoski.

Goals: Walters 50 pen, Counago 53, Stead 88.

Chesterfield: Lee, Picken, Hall (Currie 56), Downes, Austin, Lowry, Kerry, Winter, Robertson, Boden (Bowery 77), Ward.

Subs Not Used: Carson, Harsley, Goodall, Algar, Askham.

Booked: Kerry, Boden.

Att: 12,524

Ref: Keith Hill (Hertfordshire).