Depleted Chesterfield end memorable 2024 with spirited defeat at Bradford City - report

The Spireites, who will always look back on this year fondly after finally sealing their return to the Football League, deservedly took the lead at Valley Parade through Armando Dobra.

But the Bantams turned the scoreline around with two goals from Bobby Pointon and Antoni Sarcevic either side of half-time.

It was a spirited performance from Town, who had 14 players unavailable, and they certainly had some big moments to go further in front in the first-half, but in the end they fell to their second successive league defeat.

Just like at Fleetwood Town, they gave it absolutely everything, but a concession from a counter-attack and an individual error, plus tiring legs, proved too much for them. They are desperate for the January transfer window to open so they can add to the squad.

The result means they fall to ninth but are still only three points off the automatic spots at the halfway stage of the season.

The big headline from the team news was that joint top scorer, James Berry, was not involved in the squad at all, and he was replaced by Bailey Hobson, which was the only change from the defeat to Fleetwood on Boxing Day. Youngster Ali Mohiuddin was named among what was a very youthful and thin-looking bench with the injuries in the camp well into the double figures.

In the first-half Chesterfield had 60% possession, nine shots, including three on target, whereas the Bantams only had one, but the scoreline was level at the break.

Bradford made a fast start but the visitors soon settled and they should have gone ahead on 12 minutes when Liam Mandeville danced past a couple of challenges in the box but he fired wide when everyone expected the net to bulge.

City defender Aden Baldwin flicked a near post header over the bar from a corner but that was all the hosts could muster up as the Spireites took charge for the remainder of the half.

Hobson burst forward and forced a low save out of Sam Walker and then later on Town failed to take advantage of a dangerous counter-attack led by Ollie Banks as the home faithful became frustrated at their own side and angry at referee Adam Herczeg for awarding a number of free-kicks against their team.

The Blues deservedly took the lead on 35 minutes when Dilan Markanday’s cross was eventually blasted in by Dobra at the second attempt to send the travelling fans wild.

And they almost doubled their advantage soon after when Hobson’s low shot was parried into the path of Dobra but he was superbly denied by a brilliant block by Baldwin.

And that proved vital because Bradford equalised against the run of play just before half-time when substitute Pointon turned in Alex Pattison’s driven cross from close-range.

But Chesterfield nearly went back in front when Dobra headed Mandeville’s cross onto the post to end a breathless first-half of action. It had been a shame that Paul Cook’s men could not have taken a lead into the break because they thoroughly deserved it.

And the scoreline was turned on its head at the start of the second-half when Sarcevic punished a mistake by Jamie Grimes before rounding Max Thompson to make it 2-1.

It was one-way traffic after that with City threatening a third as they were roared on by a big home crowd. Chesterfield, with their tiring legs, were on the ropes and it only looked a matter of time before they conceded again. Pattison tried an audacious lob from distance after another counter-attack but it landed on the roof of the net.

Such is Chesterfield’s injury woes, a double change resulted in Hobson being moved up front for the last 20 minutes.

Tom Naylor had a hooked shot saved and Banks drilled wide as the Spireites kept going until the end but they couldn’t force an equaliser but it was not for the want of trying.

Chesterfield: Thompson; Sheckleford, Naylor, Grimes, Araujo (Horton, 72); Banks; Markanday, Mandeville, Dobra, Hobson; Drummond (Oldaker, 72)

Unused subs: Boot, Jessop, Cook, Mohiuddin, Elliott.