Danny Swailes scored the goal of his life to edge out Chester and keep injury-hit MK Dons top of League 2.

Swailes struck a wonderful 57th-minute volley from a Colin Cameron corner to keep the Dons a point ahead of second-placed Peterborough, but Paul Ince's team again had goalkeeper Willy Gueret to thank for more penalty heroics.

Having saved crucially from Swansea's Jason Scotland to send the Dons to Wembley in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Monday, Gueret was at it again against the Blues - denying former Don Paul Butler just after half-time following Jordan Hadfield's foul on Chris Holroyd.

It was arguably the defining moment in the game as Gueret, in the form of his life right now, provided the inspiration the home side needed in the absence of their usual providers.

Willy Gueret denies Paul Butler from the penalty spot.

Down to the bare bones without influential skipper Keith Andrews and defender Dean Lewingon due to suspension, Ince's selection problems were not eased when striker Kevin Gallen and defender Drissa Diallo were ruled out through injury.

Add to that the absence of leading scorer Mark Wright and the Dons were missing three of their four leading scorers.

But with the energy of Jemal Johnson in attack and the ingenuity of John Miles in midfield, that didn't mean chances would be in short supply.

The two combined as early as the sixth minute to start a glut of early openings - Miles sliding Johnson through with a disguised pass and Johnson only denied by Chester 'keeper John Danby.

Carl Regan keeps a close eye on Kevin Ellison.

A better chance materialised moments later thanks to some great work from Cameron down the left, but again Johnson was out of luck as he side-footed well wide from 14 yards.

At the other end, Chester wide-man Kevin Ellison ghosted into space behind the Dons back four only to lift his shot wide as Gueret advanced.

It was more like basketball than football as the game stretched from end to end and Johnson was again off target having raided in superbly from the right flank.

Chester thought they'd taken the lead on 20 minutes when Ellison got the better of Alan Navarro as the pair chased a ball over the top, but was denied by referee Jon Moss, who whistled for a shirt pull as Ellison slid the ball home.

Ellison was looking like Chester's most likely source of joy and having got in behind Jude Stirling at left-back, the winger curled a shot just wide of Gueret's far post on 35 minutes.

Jordan Hadfield hammers a shot goalwards.

It was entertaining stuff but the scoresheet remained blank at the break, and only Gueret prevented that changing within five minutes of the restart.

In fairness to Hadfield, his challenge on Holroyd looked to have been a fair one as the 20-year-old midfielder put a firm foot on the ball in front of the Chester man.

Butler, determined not to be psyched out by Gueret, stood with his back to the ball as he prepared to take the penalty, only turning on the blast of the whistle.

But it was Gueret's brilliance rather than mind games that got the better of the former Leeds man, the Frenchman plunging low to his right to grasp the defender's effort.

It fired the Dons up a treat as Johnson started to inject some pace in the final third and as the crowd lifted, Swailes gave them something to shout about.

John Miles impressed on his first start for the Dons.

Cameron's corner from the right was swung well out to the edge of the box and when Swailes connected with his right boot, Danby was left stranded as the ball sailed over him and into the roof of the net.

A quite stunning fourth of the season for the Dons defender and a breakthrough his team desperately needed.

Having spent the game ghosting into dangerous positions, Miles should have made it two as Johnson found his groove.

Terrifying full-back James Vaughan with a lightning quick break from his own half, Johnson timed his pass perfectly to put Miles in the clear on 71 minutes.

The on-loan Accrington forward ignored the unmarked Dyer to his right, instead choosing to round Danby only to see his effort blocked from the scrambling defence.

Lloyd Dyer feels a strong challenge from Tony Dinning.

Not just a menace to Chester, Johnson was proving a nuisance as well and it was sheer persistence that caused the visitors problems two minutes later.

Pressing and dispossessing the harried Paul Linwood deep inside the Chester half, Johnson provided Dyer with the chance to cross from the right.

His first-time ball was a beauty and when Cameron arrived in the area, his volley should have rippled the net rather than sailed wide.

Jemal Johnson was in sparkling form for the Dons against Chester.

Johnson looked like he'd been playing the lone striker role all his life and he again created a chance for himself with eight minutes to go, darting between Butler and Linwood only to be frustrated again by Danby.

It could have been more, it possibly should have been more, but given the list of injuries Paul Ince's team had to deal with this afternoon, one-nil will do very nicely.

Peterborough's win over Bury means the gap at the top is still one point but, more significantly, defeats for Rotherham and Hereford mean the Dons are five points clear of fourth place.

MK Dons: Gueret, Regan, Swailes, O'Hanlon, Stirling, Dyer, Navarro, Hadfield (Livermore 76), Miles, Cameron (Baldock 88), Johnson.
Subs Not Used: Bastians, Edds, Abbey.

Booked: Hadfield, Livermore.

Goals: Swailes 57.

Chester City: Danby, James Vaughan, Butler, Linwood, Wilson, Roberts, Dinning, Grant (Rutherford 83), Ellison, Murphy, Holroyd.
Subs Not Used: Palethorpe, Sandwith, Kelly, Marples.

Booked: Roberts

Attendance: 8,172

Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)