The Daggers lost out to a classy Chesterfield side at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium. The result gives the Spirites a boost ahead of their play-off challenge while John Still's men will have to look elsewhere for the points that will guarantee them safety.

The Daggers boss decided to stick with Paul Benson in the starting line-up, Jon Nurse settling for a place on the bench. However it was the visitors who started on the front foot. Jamie Ward volleyed high and wide in the very first minute while Jamie Lowry shot over after breaking from midfield.

The home side responded with Glen Southam finding Ben Strevens with a good pass; Strevens shot into the side-netting from a difficult angle. In fact at this stage the Daggers were playing some good football. A super move involving both Benson and Strevens ended with Peter Gain crossing just over the onrushing Southam.

However as the half wore on, the visitors regained the initiative which resulted in the only goal of the first period. Ward and David Dowson seemed to be at the heart of every good Chesterfield move with Dowson shooting narrowly wide. Ward also had a couple of attempts, including forcing a very good close range save from Tony Roberts, before he opened the scoring on 37 minutes.

The goal came from a Phil Picken cross that found Ward. The forward struck a volley that looked to be going in, however a deflection off Ross Smith ensured that the ball ended in the corner of the Dagenham goal.

Southam and Gain had efforts and Ward really should have scored a second when he left was one-on-one with Roberts before Still made a change at the break. Both Nurse and Sam Sloma came on from the bench as the Daggers reverted to a 4-4-2 formation.

Unfortunately they were left with a bigger hill to climb as the Spirites scored a second before the change in tactics could take effect. The Daggers were unable to clear their lines a minute into the second half, allowing Ward to strike from the edge of the area. Roberts couldn't hold onto the shot, and the ball trickled over the line in off the post.

The goal was perhaps all the more frustrating as Dagenham looked more dangerous with the change. Nurse was unable to convert a low Strevens cross while Southam had a shot blocked. The best chance fell to Benson, sent clear by a super Southam pass, only to shoot wide of the target.

Chesterfield meanwhile always looked dangerous particularly with Ward and Dowson in this mood. Dowson had a shot cleared off the line, and was again thwarted by desperate Daggers defending. However neither player was involved in what proved to the last goal of the game. Picken's long throw found Steve Fletcher, who saw his header loop over Roberts and land in the back of the net.

Sub Chris Moore clipped the bar for the Daggers, but at the end they were well beaten and will have to focus on their trip to Accrington Stanley this coming Friday.