Ollie Palmer’s second-half double earned Wrexham all three points in front of 1,851 travelling fans as the Red Dragons beat promotion rivals Chesterfield at the Technique Stadium.
After a string of stunning first-half saves by an inspired Rob Lainton kept Wrexham in the game, Phil Parkinson’s tactical switch paid dividends as the Red Dragons turned the screw after the break.
Palmer headed in the first and bundled home the second, both in front of the away supporters, as Wrexham returned to North Wales victorious.
Bryce Hosannah replaced Callum McFadzean in the only change to the starting line-up from Saturday’s dramatic win at Wealdstone, but Wrexham struggled to find rhythm early on.
Chesterfield, on the other hand, laid siege to the Red Dragons’ penalty area and it was only the brilliance of Lainton that kept the scores level.
Mandeville was the first to test the Wrexham stopper, forcing a good save from 25 yards out on eight minutes, with a low shot that dipped awkwardly.
George Miller then drove down the left wing on 17 minutes, as he did to great success early on, and found Akwasi Asante but again Lainton was equal to the striker’s shot.
Lainton’s third key save was perhaps the pick of the early bunch, racing off his line to save with his legs as Asante ran onto an inch-perfect through ball on 21 minutes.
Tom Whelan was next to try his luck, but Lainton parried clear and Joe Quigley was flagged offside as he converted the rebound on 25 minutes.
Wrexham responded with a tactical switch, however, that stemmed the Chesterfield flow as Luke Young dropped deep to support Tom O’Connor, behind Dan Jarvis and Jordan Davies.
Aaron Hayden should have scored for Wrexham on 31 minutes, as Ollie Palmer headed a deep cross back inside, but the centre-back shot straight at Scott Loach.
Liam McAlinden replaced Jarvis at half-time, and Wrexham started the second-half much better.
Palmer should have broken the deadlock on 53 minutes, when Hayden headed O’Connor’s free-kick inside to pick him out unmarked, but he blazed over.
A minute later, Reece Hall-Johnson was convinced he should have had a penalty when Loach challenged him in the area, but the goalkeeper was adjudged to have touched the ball behind.
Wrexham’s pressure paid off on 57 minutes, however, when another set piece was headed back inside by Max Cleworth and Palmer nodded in from close range.
Whelan brought another fine save from Lainton on 66 minutes – perhaps his best of the game – as he clawed his long-range effort away from the top corner. Asante then fluffed a shot from close-range straight at the Wrexham goalkeeper too.
And the visitors took full advantage as, after a goalmouth scramble, Palmer prodded in the second.
Chesterfield threw men forward, including giant substitute Tom Denton, and also introduced Saidou Khan and Joe Rowley from the bench, but they could not break down a stubborn Wrexham defence.
And after eight minutes of added time, it was the Red Dragons left to celebrate a third straight win.
Line-ups:
Wrexham: Lainton, Hall-Johnson, Hayden, Tozer, Cleworth, Hosannah, O’Connor, Young, Davies, Jarvis (McAlinden 46), Palmer.
Subs not used: Dibble, French, McFadzean, Ponticelli
Chesterfield: Loach, Whittle, Maguire, Grimes, Williams (Rowley 79), Miller, Kellerman, Whelan, Mandeville (Khan 84), Quigley (Denton 75), Asante
Subs not used: Wharton, Kerr
Referee: Garreth Rhodes
Attendance: 7,854
Bookings:
Wrexham: Hayden (foul), Lainton (time wasting)
Chesterfield: Williams (foul), Whelan (foul)