Doncaster Rovers 3 Chesterfield 2: Doncaster end six-month wait for Keepmoat win to Dickov’s relief

Paul Dickov’s side have not won in the league at the Keepmoat Stadium since March but their long-suffering fans were rewarded with a five-goal thriller.

Reece Wabara’s cross was headed home by striker Nathan Tyson before the impressive Kyle Bennett smashed home to make it 2-0.

Chesterfield had battled back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Preston in midweek, so when Sam Clucas halved the deficit Rovers supporters could have been forgiven for thinking the worst.

But up popped giant defender Jamie McCombe to net from a rebound and the points looked safe.

Not even another goal from the in-form Eoin Doyle could deny Rovers their first home win since Chris Brown’s goal beat South Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 on March 22.

Doncaster’s previous four wins this campaign had been on the road at Yeovil, York, Colchester and Watford but this win took Rovers up to 15th in the League One table.

Newly-promoted Chesterfield are fifth.

Dickov said: “I’m delighted with the three points – in the first half we went 2-0 up and looked comfortable, as if we were going to score more goals.

“But we dropped deep and conceded a poor goal by letting their midfielders run off the back of us.

“It was a similar story in the second half – we started fantastically well, went 3-1 ahead, should have had a penalty and hit the bar. Then we started dropping deeper and deeper and stopped doing the things that got us in front in the first place.”

Chesterfield assistant manager Leam Richardson said: “The game had everything. For a neutral it would have been a good spectacle with both teams trying to win. I thought our lads gave everything and when they do that, you can’t knock them.”

Doncaster Rovers: Steer, Wabara, McCombe, McCullough, Evina, De Val Fernandez (Keegan 63), Wellens, Furman, Coppinger, Tyson (Robinson 82), Bennett. Unused substitutes: Marosi, Wakefield, Peterson, Askins, Ferguson.

Chesterfield: Lee, Darikwa, Evatt, Raglan, Humphreys (O’Shea 51), Morsy (Banks 22), Ryan, Boco (Gnanduillet 55), Johnson, Clucas, Doyle. Unused substitutes: Gardner, Chapman, Broadhead, Lamb.

Referee: T Harrington (Cleveland).

Man of the match: Jed Steer.