A first-half strike from Chesterfield's Jamie Ward earned the Spireites a 1-0 win at Grimsby Town in League Two on Saturday.

The frontman raced clear in the 42nd minute to fire home into the far corner to give the visitors a deserved victory.

Chesterfield dominated the first half and went close as early as the fifth minute, when Jamie Lowry met a cross from Darren Currie at the far post and saw his header smothered by Phil Barnes.

Then Ward burst through, but with an unmarked Currie screaming for the ball, he chose to shoot and Barnes went down to his left to save.

However, Ward made amends three minutes before the break when he raced onto a diagonal ball from Currie and blasted past Barnes from 15 yards.

James Hunt went closest for Grimsby when he picked up a knockdown from Martin Butler and saw his close-range shot blocked.

Grimsby rallied after the break and Peter Till saw his left-foot shot saved at the near post by debutant keeper Trevor Carson.