Chesterfield camp is 'special place' as team spirit shines against Dagenham and Redbridge

Chesterfield have lost just one in 15 in all competitions despite an ongoing injury crisis.

They went into Saturday’s match at Dagenham and Redbridge with eight players out injured and Danny Rowe unavailable due to illness.

The situation became worse when Laurence Maguire was stretchered off in the opening minutes with a calf problem.

But despite this they fought back from two-nil down and played the last ten minutes a man down after Jamie Grimes was sent off.

“I think actions speak louder than words and the actions in these last seven days have been phenomenal,” Rowe told the DT.

"We are growing in belief.”

The team spirit is perhaps best highlighted by the performance of Alex Whittle and the actions of Calvin Miller, who travelled down to be with the squad close to midnight after becoming a dad for the second time.

Whittle was making his first start in the league this season and was shifted to an unfamiliar left-sided centre-back spot following the injury to Maguire.

“Alex was absolutely outstanding,” Rowe said.

“What a performance from him.

“If he had scored that goal at the end that would have capped off a wonderful day for him.

“Alex has not played much and look at the attitude and how he has slotted in there with no problems and given it his all.

“He won headers, tackles and pressed.

“That is what we are trying to build, we are trying to build that togetherness.

“Whether you play or you don’t, you know you can come out of the stands and go straight into the team and that is what it is all about.

“Again, it goes back to your methodology, your training has got to be right for players to come in and play at that intensity.”

On Miller, Rowe added: “I said to him you are on the bench and you are only going to play 20 minutes. But Maguire has got injured and he has ended up playing 80 which is why he was cramping up and also the emotion that he has had. Again that underlines who we are and what we are doing here. It is a special place.”