DOIDGE GETS THE JOB DONE
STAR striker Christian Doidge netted twice as Forest Green Rovers out-gunned basement side Chesterfield to all but guarantee their League Two status for another season and relegate their opponents in the process.
Craig Laird fired Rovers in front on 27 minutes, but Kristian Dennis equalised from the penalty spot to keep the Spireites in the hunt.
Doidge then took centre stage, keeping his cool to restore the Gloucestershire side's lead in the 74th minute and then netting his 24th goal of the season from the penalty spot in added time.
In between those two strikes, Dayle Grubb scored to consign Chesterfield to the drop. Six points clear of the relegation zone, Rovers require a further point at Yeovil on Tuesday to achieve safety.
Relieved Forest Green boss Mark Cooper said: “Chesterfield asked a lot of questions of us and it was a very tense game, as you would expect.
“It was a tense and tough afternoon and I didn’t enjoy it one bit. But we got the job done and that’s all that matters.
“Brad Collins was outstanding and made some fantastic saves, and we then went on to score four goals on the back of that. In the end, our substitutes had more of an impact than theirs did.”
Needing to win to retain any hope of maintaining their status, Chesterfield threw everything at Rovers during a furious opening 15-minute spell in which they created and spurned four clear-cut openings, Dennis wasting the best of them when firing wide from close range.
“We should have killed it off. We should have been three or four up and in charge of the game,” reflected disappointed Chesterfield manager Jack Lester.
“We created some great chances, but you need to take those when they come along. Those are big moments and we didn’t make the most of them.”
Slow to start, Forest Green summoned a telling response on 26 minutes, Laird cutting in from the left and comprehensively beating Aaron Ramsdale with a ferocious 25-yard drive.
Chesterfield were level nine minutes later, Dennis atoning for his earlier miss by sending Brad Collins the wrong way from the penalty spot after Reuben Reid had tripped Drew Talbot inside the box.
Jak McCourt saw an effort come back off the post for Chesterfield, while Rovers topscorer Doidge rattled the cross bar as the action continued at a frantic pace.
Cooper played his trump card, sending on Grubb for the last 20 minutes and the substitute immediately set up Doidge to restore the home side’s lead. Jacob Brown hit the post as Chesterfield threw caution to the wind, but Rovers came on strong, Grubb riding three challenges to score from an angle and Doidge netting from the spot after Talbot had felled Tahvon Campbell.