And when Peter Leven whacked a last-gasp free kick home to garner Chesterfield the full set of points, the on and off-pitch celebrations confirmed how tasty that particular form of tonic can be.

It's been a long time since Spireites last tasted it. January 2006 to be precise, when Adam Smith ran and shot to end a run of eight consecutive draws to see off Bradford City, another 1-0 win.

The left-footed 22-yarder, hammered low after sub Jamie Ward and midfielder Jamie Winter had done the fancy footwork on and around the stationary ball, will have gone some way to numbing the pain Leven clearly suffered last month when he saw a point taken away when his stoppage-time penalty against Peterborough United was saved.

The free-kick was the second similarly positioned one in the hectic final throws of the match.

Moments before, Nathan Stanton, who had a verbal slanging match with Leven as the Scot was warming down after the end of the game, fouled Jack Lester. The resulting free-kick saw Ward and Leven have crisp shots blocked.

What do you think? Post your comments below.

Ward, very lively after coming on for David Dowson, was then felled by first-time starter Chris Basham, who also seemed then to kick the striker when he was down.

This time Leven's left foot condemned Rochdale to a fifth straight home defeat.

Rochdale had been marketing the match extensively. To add to the excitement, one time Barnsley midfielder Gary Jones equalled the club's all-time first team appearance record, but all of their work attracted only around 2500 home fans.

No doubt the weather put many off, and the resulting atmosphere was quiet, barring that produced by the 500 strong travelling supporters.

Adam Rundle put a header wide of the far post from a scoring position for the hosts in the opening minutes and the same player delivered a decent corner that somehow eluded intervention from attack and defence.

Lester had Spireites' best first-half chance. Dowson took advantage of some sloppy play from Rory McArdle and picked out his co-striker perfectly. With time and space in his favour, Lester, though, was unable to get the necessary power on the type of shot that has posed few problems for him this season.

After the break, Spireites looked much more revved up and again a great chance was squandered, by the 25-goal hot-shot.

Lloyd Kerry snatched the ball off Kallum Higginbotham, threaded it through to Leven whose eye for the defence-splitter was again perfectly focused and he put Lester free.

Every bookie in the land would have given odds on a goal, but, faced by James Spencer, the striker elected not to shoot early.

He went to round the keeper but his touch to the right took him away from any scoring position and another gilt-edged chance passed by.

Lester had another couple of chances, not as straight forward as his opening two, while Aaron Downes had to clear a McArdle downward header off the line in Dale's most potent second-half moment.

Right up to the last gasp goal, a winner looked a good bet.
With Dale starting the game just a point behind Chesterfield with three games in hand, it was vital that it went the way of the visitors.

Assistant manager Scott Sellars made his post-match press debut and said of the goal; "It was difficult to see perfectly.

"There were that many bodies around the box.

"It was the last few minutes and we were all getting a bit excited but what a great strike from Peter, he's got that quality with his left foot.

"We'd had one or two opportunities before the goal that maybe we should have taken but we found that bit of quality we needed right at the end."
Sellars praised the rearguard for their part in the victory.

"Rochdale are a good young team with a lot of potential, but I don't remember them having a lot of chances," he said.

"One in the first half at the far post and another in the second half.

"But Jack had chances from good positions on a couple of occasions, so chances wise it was pretty even, but before the goal Jack's were the best chances of the game."

"I think performances are improving.

"We look solid, strong and like we'll score goals, so we need to keep maintaining that.

"March is a big month for us so we need to make sure these results and
performances carry on."

READ MORE

Football headlines.
More Blades.
More Owls.
More Spireites.
More Rovers.
More Reds.
More Millers.
More rugby.
More boxing.
Sports columnists.
All sport categories