Doyle denies Daggers as Chesterfield move closer to promotion

Eoin Doyle moved Chesterfield a step closer to the play-offs as his first half strike separated the two sides at Victoria Road.

The Spireites did have the better chances throughout the 90 minutes, and Daggers failed to seriously test visiting goalkeeper Tommy Lee.

Daggers boss Wayne Burnett made four changes from the team which won 1-0 at Torquay United on Good Friday with Jordan Seabright given the chance to impress in goal ahead of Chris Lewington.

There were also starts for Matt Saunders, Lawson D’Ath and Blair Turgott.

In comparison to the last home game against Portsmouth, it was a much better performance from the hosts inside the opening five minutes then over the entire 90 of that encounter.

Luke Norris again showed his attacking intent and he took one touch before volleying into the side netting.

Chesterfield were having plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges, but Daggers were relatively comfortable with what the Spireites threw at them.

Tendayi Darikwa went into the book for a late lunge on Norris, but Paul Cook’s side went on to take the lead when Darikwa delivered a pinpoint ball into the box and Doyle was there to force home from close range past Seabright after the ball had taken a deflection off Ilesanmi.

Daggers had done reasonably well up until that point, but Medy Elito and Blair Turgott were finding it hard to get into the game.

Little else was to happen in the half as the Daggers struggled to get their way back into the game.

The second half was slow to get going as well, but Darikwa burst into life for the visitors with a fine run from deep in the Daggers half.

He drifted inside off the right hand side, before eventually running out of room and pulling the ball back for Daniel Kearns, but his effort was saved by Seabright.

Norris went straight up the other end and drilled an effort into the arms of Spireites goalkeeper Tommy Lee.

Brian Saah went close with a volley which deflected off a Chesterfield player and over the bar for a home corner, but Marc Richards went close to putting Paul Cook’s side even closer to promotion when he was unmarked in the box but at full stretch directed it just off target.

Seabright, in for only his second league start of the season, then proved his worth with a great block to deny Kearns and that launched a Daggers counter attack.

That resulted in Medy Elito pacing down the right, and his ball in found Norris at the back post but his header was off target from close range.

Ian Gayle was making his second start in succession for the Daggers but he almost gift wrapped a second for Chesterfield when Richards nicked possession before firing narrowly over the bar with Seabright at full stretch.

The hosts did continue to press for a late equaliser, but Ian Evatt at the heart of the Chesterfield defence headed almost everything away and Daggers were left to contemplate a seventh home defeat of the season.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Seabright, Hoyte, Saah, Gayle, Ilesanmi, D’Ath, Saunders (Howell 85), Bingham (Shields 59), Elito, Norris, Turgott (Obafemi 59)

Unused substitutes: Lewington, Wilkinson, Ogogo, Connors.

Chesterfield: Lee, Smith, Cooper, Evatt, Darikwa, Kearns (O’Shea 71), Hird, Ryan, Gardner (Roberts 62), Richards (Gnanduillet 79), Doyle.

Unused substitutes: Dunbavin, Togwell, Humphreys, Beesley.

Attendance: 1,801 (553 Chesterfield fans)