SWINDON Town finally got back to winning ways at the 10th time of asking this afternoon and secured their League One survival in the process as Yaser Kasim’s second-half strike was enough to beat Chesterfield.

The Iraqi international’s curling effort from the edge of the box ensured Swindon ended a winless run that had dated back to March 1 and also gave Luke Williams a first victory since being named Town’s permanent manager.

Kasim’s goal came after a prolonged attacking spell from Swindon looked to go unrewarded at the County Ground as they struggled to break down the Spireites.

However, once they got in front, the game was virtually over as a contest as the visitors finished the game with 10 men when full-back Charlie Raglan was dismissed for a second bookable offence two minutes from time.

The home side had a good chance to break the deadlock inside two minutes when Raphael Branco found himself in an unfamiliar position in the box.

Bradley Barry stormed up the right and fed Jonathan Obika, whose low cross picked out Branco, but the Brazilian defender’s shot cannoned off Nicky Ajose and went wide.

Town were almost the masters of their own downfall shortly afterwards when a short pass from Louis Thompson was pounced on by Jay O’Shea, who drove into the box but saw his shot turned over by Jake Kean.

Barry continued to look a handful down the right for Town and another cross was deflected out for a corner, with the subsequent set-piece making its way to Louis Thompson in the box but his low strike was hooked off the line by Spireites skipper Gary Liddle.

Michael Doughty then saw a shot deflected narrowly wide for Town before the visitors had their best chance midway through the first half.

Lee Novak met a near-post cross from Gboly Iriyibi but Swindon stopper Kean stayed big and the effort flicked off his leg, onto the post and wide.

However, Kean was then caught out as he came to meet the following corner but Sam Hird headed over the unguarded net, with the home keeper stranded in no-man’s land.

Chesterfield custodian Tommy Lee then pulled off his most notable save of the opening period when he flung himself to his left to tip wide Doughty’s 30-yard drive.

The visitors were then forced to do without their most potent goal threat as striker Novak’s day was cut short after 25 minutes, limping off through injury after twice needing treatment earlier on. He was replaced by Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

The pace of the game then slowed for the remainder of the half but the new man almost made an impact in the first of six additional minutes, with his looping cross looking set to find Ollie Banks in the box but James Brophy got in a crucial intervention to force a corner and keep Town level at the break.

Town flew out of the blocks in the second half and rained efforts in on the Spireites’ goal.

First, Brophy saw an effort blocked, Obika had a shot on the turn deflected wide, while Kasim was denied by a Drew Talbot challenge after skipping into box following a short corner.

Only the woodwork prevented the home side breaking the deadlock seven minutes after the restart when Doughty let fly with a wonderful 30-yard strike.

His effort beat the diving Lee but hit the inside of the posts and spun all the way across goal and wide for a goal kick.

Swindon produced another fine attack soon afterwards, which started with some lovely Brophy trickery on the left and ended with Branco being tripped on the edge of the box. Ajose stepped up to take the free-kick and whipped it agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

Midfielder Doughty looked the most likely source of goal for Town and had two more good efforts in quick succession, the first of which was smothered by Lee and the second went just wide.

Town’s chance of victory appeared to be slipping away when they wasted the best chance of the match 15 minutes from time.

Another Doughty shot bounced in front of Lee, who spilled the ball up in the air, but Obika could not react quickly enough and put the rebound over the top with the keeper prostrate on the ground.

However, thankfully Town were not made to pay for that miss for too long and they finally broke the Spireites’ resistance a minute later.

Kasim collected the ball on the left, cut inside and curled a delightful shot around Lee and into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Town could have pulled further clear in the closing stages when Ajose fed Obika in the box but the striker took too long to pull the trigger and the visitors got back to snub out the chance.

Chesterfield’s race was run two minutes from time when they were reduced to 10 men as Raglan collected a second booking for a foul on Louis Thompson and the hosts saw out the remainder of the contest with ease.

SWINDON TOWN: Kean, Barry, Branco, N Thompson (capt), Turnbull, Brophy, Kasim, L Thompson, Doughty, Obika, Ajose. Subs not used: Henry, Sendles-White, Rodgers, Marshall, Iandolo, Hylton, Cooke.

CHESTERFIELD: Lee, Raglan, Anderson, Hird, Talbot, Herd (Slew 67), Liddle (capt), Ariyibi, Banks, O’Shea, Novak (Campbell-Ryce 25). Subs not used: Chapman, Gardner, Ebanks-Blake, Humphreys, Dimaio.

Referee: Trevor Kettle

Attendance: 7,015 (337)