Chesterfield close gap to Woking with narrow win at Dagenham and Redbridge - how it happened

Mandeville headed in Ollie Banks’ cross on 70 minutes for his eighth goal of the season.

Woking’s draw at home to Southend United means Town are back to within one point of third with four matches remaining.

Goalkeeer Ross Fitzsimons made a massive save in the last 10 seconds to deny Inih Effiong.

After defeat to York City on Good Friday, this was a vital victory for the Spireites, who are now unbeaten in six away games, including five wins.

There were three changes to the Chesterfield starting line-up from the defeat to the Minstermen. Ryheem Sheckleford, Darren Oldaker and Joe Quigley replaced Jeff King, Andrew Dallas and Paul McCallum, who was ineligible to play against his parent club. Sheckleford and Oldaker were making their first starts in six matches.

Dagenham, now managed by former Eastleigh boss Ben Strevens, went into this clash six points off the top seven so they still had a slim chance of gatecrashing the play-offs.

Torrential rain soaked the Victoria Road pitch before kick-off and that helped the Spireites make a fast start to the game with Dagenham goalkeeper Elliott Justham parrying early on from Sheckleford and then Banks drilled wide.

Down the other end Fitzsimons was called into action twice in a couple of minutes, parrying twice from Angelo Balanta.

Just before the 20-minute mark Banks was on the end of a naughty tackle by David Longe-King near the halfway line. The midfielder looked in a lot of pain but he was able to continue after receiving some treatment.

Chesterfield upped the tempo again and won three corners in quick-time and then Ryan Colclough brought a save out of Justham, who had to dive low to his right to keep his effort out.

Just after the half-hour mark Town came the closest to scoring when Quigley chested the ball down just inside the area and thumped a volley towards goal which crashed back off the crossbar.

Another bright moment for Quigley saw the striker burst past his man into the box and square the ball back for Oldaker but his attempt was blocked.

Before the break Ash Palmer made a superb block, throwing himself at the ball, to stop Mo Sagaf’s goal-bound strike.

The Blues made a change at the break as Jesurun Uchegbulam replaced Sheckleford and he came on at right-back.

Just after half-time Laurence Maguire and Jamie Grimes both attacked a deep Mandeville corner and it just went narrowly wide.

On the hour Effiong bundled his way into the box and made Fitzsimons tip wide for a corner,

Myles Weston had been causing problems for Uchegbulam so manager Paul Cook opted to switch him wide left and drop Mandeville to right-back for the last 30 minutes.

Chesterfield had been struggling to create anything in the second-half but with 20 minutes remaining Mandeville headed in Banks’ cross at the back post.

The remainder of the game was uneventful until during five minutes of injury-time when Uchegbulam forced Justham to tip over and Oldaker struck a post.

And with just seconds remaining Fitzsimons made a massive block to deny Effiong to secure the three points.