Daggers stickability was never better illustrated than this valiant, hard-won point away at a Chesterfield side, third in the table before this fixture kicked off. And it wasn't hard to see why in the opening hour of this game.
For the Derbyshire side, eager to re-claim the League 1 status that they lost last season, in time for a move to a new stadium hoped for in the season after next, subjected Daggers to the most amount of pressure than they have had to withstand in a long time, in the opening hour. Quite how Daggers were still in the game, at 1-0 down, at the interval, was a bafflement to most of the 4,101 crowd at Saltergate, but it was due to a series of excellent Tony Roberts saves, some backs-to-the-wall defending and quite frankly, some very poor home finishing. But once Paul Benson brought John Still's side level 10 minutes into the second-half, the whole balance of the game changed and in the closing stages, Daggers could have taken maximum points from their first visit to Chesterfield's current ramshackle home, a reward which for the first two-thirds of the match looked distinctly unlikely.
Daggers went into the game on the back of three straight away victories - at Mansfield, Brentford and Leyton Orient - but a fourth looked highly unlikely as Chesterfield dominated almost from the first kick-off. It took them just eight minutes to plunder the lead, when from a right-wing corner, Daggers' marking was found missing, as home skipper and central defender Aaron Downes was left unmarked to loop a powerful header over Roberts into the net. The talented ex-Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest striker Jack Lester, whose capture by the Spirerites is viewed as a major coup, looked impressive at this stage and his clever footwork set up chances for co-striker Adam Rooney to pull wide and for Felix Bastians to fire across the face of goal. Daggers' most impressive performer looked to be Richard Graham, making his first start in seven months and he latched onto a neat flick-off by Paul Benson, also making only his third start of the season and homed in on goal, only for Chesterfield full-back Gregor Robertson to execute a goal-saving tackle. But largely all the action was in the other goalmouth. Bastians again hooked another reasonable opportunity wide of goal and there was great clamour from the Saltergate crowd for a penalty when their German winger went down under a challenge from Danny Foster, but referee Drysdale, on the spot, waved the appeals away. Lester got through from Robertson's long ball and twice dummied Roberts as he seemed poised to double the home lead. But Daggers' Welsh keeper stood firm, refused to commit himself and got in a vital block, saving with his chest. Rooney swiping the rebound effort over the bar. Before the interval, Rooney again wasted a good opening and the adventurous Robertson had a shot deflect off Ross Smith, inches wide, as Daggers turned around just a goal down, but the damage could have been so much worse.
It seemed as a very long 90 minutes were going to ensue as Chesterfield began the second-half in similar vein to the first, Roberts making the save of the game, going full length to turn away Bastians' shot for the far corner, in the opening attack of the second-half. Rooney and Jamie Lowry also stretched Daggers in the opening 10 minutes of the half, but 11 minutes in and without Daggers having a serious attempt on the home goal, suddenly they were on terms. Glen Southam picked up in his own half and threaded a 30 yard ball through to the marauding Benson. Suddenly all last season's instincts came back to him. He slipped his way through Picken and Downes' challenges, rounded keeper Roche and rolled his second goal of the campaign into an unguarded net. Saltergate was stunned. The Spirerites attempted to restore their lead within seconds as in the next more, Lester burrowed through, but Roberts kept the effort out with his feet! Both sides made changes and Daggers introduced Chris Moore for Ben Strevens. It almost paid immediate dividends, with his first contribution, Moore played a delightful 1-2 with Benson, but the Daggers' scorer just overran the return ball. Chesterfield brought on the 39-year-old Wayne Allison as they attempted to batter Daggers into submission, but Moore got away down the left again and pulled over a very tempting cross. Strike partner Benson took off for a flying header that deflected off Picken and inches past the home woodwork. Daggers were right back in it and nine minutes from time could have won it. Again it was the Moore-Benson combination as last season's top marksman was put through with a fine through ball. Keeper Roche saved the day for the Derbyshire side, with a block save at the Daggers man's feet. Some late desperation failed to revive Chesterfield's flagging hopes and spirits and Daggers held on during five minutes of overtime for a very good away point in which John Still will have been particularly pleased with Richard Graham's first 90 minutes and the Moore-Benson combination's showing in the final 20 of the game.