Lloyd Dyer scored a priceless winner as MK Dons climbed back to the top of League 2 with a hard-fought win at Chesterfield.

Dyer struck with a classic sucker punch on 70 minutes, regaining the Dons' lead less than 60 seconds after Jamie Lowry had cancelled out Keith Andrews' first-half opener.

It was a result that lifted Paul Ince's side above Peterborough and back into League 2 top-spot with 10 games to go, and a result they may look back on as pivotal in the race for promotion.

For of the Dons remaining games this season, the trip to Saltergate to face an enigmatic Chesterfield side was without doubt one of the biggest hurdles to overcome.

Lloyd Dyer slots home the Dons' winner with his ninth of the season.

When Lee Richardson's side get things right, they normally get them very right - a fact underlined by their 4-1 destruction of Lincoln on this ground four days previously.

And when Lowry's deflected shot found a way past Willy Gueret, the concept of crucial points dropped became more than a possibility.

But Ince's battlers, who have now won their last four league games in row, have a ruthlessness about them at the moment any side would kill for at this stage of the season.

Dyer's goal, a low, left-foot finish after a delightful exchange with substitute Aaron Wilbraham, was reminiscent of a wounded animal defending a prized possession.

Alan Navarro was outstanding in the Dons' midfield.

Threatened with the loss of two of the three points it was guarding ferociously, the animal in red lashed out with an immediate and fatal blow when its authority was challenged.

It was two minutes of drama in an otherwise disappointing game, spoiled to a large degree by a horrible, swirling Derbyshire wind.

Both teams suffered, in the first half particularly, as the ball became difficult to predict in the air and Chesterfield's David Dowson nearly made it pay - drawing a good save from Gueret as Sean O'Hanlon misjudged a ball over the top.

Dons started to get their passing game together, the evergreen Alan Navarro at the heart of it, without creating much in the final third to write home about.

Chesterfield plugged away and skipper Peter Leven curled a free-kick just over the bar after a foul on the rarely conspicuous Jack Lester.

Without exerting much authority on the game, it was the home side having the more joy, Jamie Winter the latest to work Gueret with a shot from the edge of the area.

But it was the Dons that struck first just before half-time with Andrews' 12th goal of the season and his first since New Year's Day.

Dons captain Keith Andrews celebrates scoring the opener at Chesterfield.

Unfortunately booked for diving minutes before, the Dons skipper ghosted into the box to tap in a cross from the right from the outstanding Navarro.

Perhaps a little fortunate to be in front at the break, the Dons started to justify their lead after the break with some excellent football at times.

When Navarro wasn't conducting proceedings, his positioning was just first class as time and again he broke up Chesterfield momentum and set up Dons counter attacks.

Lester finally came to life just before the hour-mark, producing a gem of a cross from the left that just evaded Lowry and Lloyd Kerry in the centre.

Jemal Johnson races for possession at Saltergate.

But in general the Dons looked in control, passing cleverly when in possession and hustling Chesterfield off the ball when without it.

Typically enough, Chesterfield produced an equaliser within minutes.

Lowry and Lester exchanged passes in close quarters on the edge of the box and, when the former's shot left Gueret rooted to the spot as it headed for the corner, a deflection seemed the only explanation.

You wondered just how the Dons would respond and whether a point would be enough to take back to MK, but there wasn't a thought of it.

Following his introduction just before the goal, Wilbraham had already started to hold the ball up with greater success than either Jemal Johnson or John Miles before him.

Keith Andrews keeps the pressure on Jack Lester.

And his link up with Dyer straight from the kick off was magnificent - backheeling the ball into the winger's path and allowing Dyer the room to tuck away his 9th goal of the season from 15 yards.

It could have been game over with 10 minutes to play had Dean Lewington's fierce 30-yard drive found the bottom corner instead of the foot of the post.

But closing out games with a one-goal advantage has become something of a speciality for the Dons this season - Andrews and Navarro leaving blue shirts chasing shadows as time wilted away.

Fourteen away league wins for the season takes the Dons to 75 points for the campaign, just nine short of their total ;ast year that saw them fall agonisingly short of automatic promotion.

It's Dagenham at stadiummk on Saturday before they welcome Peterborough on Good Friday for what could be the game of the season.

Chestefield: Roche, Picken, Downes, Kovacs, Hartley, Lowry, Winter (Fletcher 67), Kerry, Leven, Lester, Dowson (Ward 46).

Subs not used: Niven, Cooper, O'Hare

Goals: Lowry 69

Booked: Hartley, Kerry

MK Dons: Gueret, Regan (Stirling 40), O'Hanlon, Swailes, Lewington, Dyer, Andrews, Navarro, Miles (Wilbraham 66), Cameron (Livermore 85), Johnson.

Subs not used: Abbey, Baldock

Goals: Andrews 43, Dyer 70

Booked: Regan, Andrews, Stirling.

Attendance: 3,834

Referee: Michael Jones (Cheshire)