Manager Lee Richardson took the players for a pre-match meal in the hope of trying to improve the home form as six away wins concur that this was an option worth trying.
Supporters were worried that the match was to be called off but we started with the rain bucketing down and creating small pools of water visable from the Press Box.
Spireites started the brighter in soggy, damp and dismal conditions, the boys in blue passing the ball about well in midfield with Leven seeing more of the ball than he did against the Millers midweek.
Barry Roche spilled a shot from Omar Daley on the ten minute mark which fortunately City could not capitalize on.
GOAL! On 13 minutes the Spireites took the lead after they gained a corner which Jamie Ward took and Adam Rooney nipped in front of his marker and Donovan Ricketts the Bantams Keeper to score with a header from the about the three yard mark. It was
The game went tit for tat with the Spireites looking the more dominant in the dreadful conditions, on 27 mins Janos Kovacs brought Colbeck down for a Yellow as the City supporters huddled together on Cross Street bayed for blood. Kovacs has now picked up five yellows which rules him out of the
David Weatherall the former caretaker manager of City was making his 300th appearance in all competitions for the Bantams was having severe problems with the movement of Rooney and Ward and had to be on his guard against the through ball.
A Niven cross headed towards goal by Jamie Ward was cleared by Daley but the clearance smacked against referee Anthony Taylor but the Spireites made nothing of it.
The Spireites were continuing to dominate the play, but they had to be alert as Law and former Blade Kyle Nix played a lovely one-two which resulted in a Nix Shot straight at Roche. On 41 Picken and Kovacs almost got into an awful mess which Daley read well but couldn't quite get between the two in the awful conditions. Felix Bastians was adjudged harshly offside after a through ball from Leven.
On 43 a lovely ball from Peter Leven finds Jamie Ward who got tackled by a large pool of water!! Ward kept going and tried to obtain a free kick but the ref gave a goal kick instead.
Donovan Ricketts thought it was time to get into the act as he was stuggling with the conditions, his clearance hits Rooney but nothing come of the resulting attack. Half time beckons and the Spireites whilst not having the chances are dominating midfield and looking comfortable.
Half Time Spireites 1-0 Bantams (3727 attendance)
Second Half starts with no substitutions as the conditions for a period worsen. A Clearance on 47 by the Spireites defence and Evans picks up the loose ball and thwacks it against Peter Leven which poleaxes him and then a further shot by Colbeck goes sailing over the bar. Levin gets up and shows true Glaswegian grit and just gets on with the game. Bastians cut in from the left and shot over the bar with his right foot but the ball rather troubles the traffic on
The crowd quitened slightly as the weather improves i.e It's not raining anymore, a through ball from Law finds Thorne in the Area and his crossed ball for Daley finds Roche which he smothers.
On 51 mins Ward shoots after a neat interchange with Lowry goes straight into the arms of Ricketts. 53 mins and Leven displays his passing ability with a beautiful sweep across the pitch to Robertson who's cross was palmed away by Ricketts and danger averted for the Bantams.
Jamie Lowry who was having a stormer in my opinion played a smashing through ball to Ward but the diminutive strikers cross goes to Ricketts and safety for City. 56 mins gone and a foul by Niven on Daley just outside the "D", free kick taken by Evans hits the wall and it's cleared by the Spireites defence. Straight away the ball comes back in and Joe Colbeck hit's a shot which whacks against the crossbar, relief all around Saltergate.
On 60 mins the chance happened which could have settled the game for the Spireites, Bastians on the left wing crosses the ball which bypasses Jamie Ward and findsLowry loose and in front of his marker, sadly the Cornishman lofts the ball over the bar. On that bombshell the rain sweeps across
64 mins gone and a shot by Gregor Robertson sails harmlessly over the bar. Following this City start to probe the Spireites defence and the Blues have to be alert. After a Robertson cross it nearly results in a second goal for Rooney but Ricketts was there to collect. 70 mins gone and a dangerous cross by Colbeck just evades Peter Thorne and City are starting to get the upper hand.
A Colbeck volley (who was becoming a thorn in Robertsons side) which Roche parries in front of Kyle Nix and Roche is forced to clear with his feet for a corner to City. Nix's corner and Thorne's header goes over the bar.
GOAL! On 76 minutes a cross from Colbeck and Niven clears from the resulting a corner Peter Leven is forced into a wonderful tackle but the Spireites are under the cosh again. From the clearance the ball finds it's way to Kyle Nix on the corner of the Penalty Area and his shot beats Roche and the far post a superb shot. The Spireites are under pressure and not clearing their lines quickly enough.
Barry Conlon comes on for Peter Thorne, Conlon has nice thoughts about Saltergate after scoring here for Barnsley. A Peter Leven tackle on Omar Daley results in Daley doing a forward roll and a triple somersault all along the floor, Daley incidentally realises that no-one's looking and gets up with all bits intact.
80 gone and it's time for Steve Fletcher and Adam Smith (Smith's last league goal was against Bradford in the last minute in Jan 2006). Rooney and Bastians are the men to depart. A shout for handball against Nicky Law not given as the Ref wasn't looking.
The Spireites have a lot of unease about their defending as Bradford pile the pressure on. On 82 a Fletcher shot deflects of a City player which results in a corner. Ward takes the corner and Fletcher leaves in the near post and it's cleared the cross from Smith comes in again which goes over the bar.
Ward shoots as the Spireites trying to regain the intative, lovely ball from Smith picks out Ward and from 25 yards he shoots and Ricketts makes a great save. A foul by Kovacs on Daley and the ref decides to give the Hungarian a talking to rather than a Red. Daley gets the bird from the Kop next time he collects the ball. A smashing ball from Lowry finds Ward who in turn plays in Smith and he shoots just wide. The Assistant Ref brings up the 3 mins board and it's all hands to the pump, more attacks from the Spireites result in nothing and the game peters out with a Kovacs clearance which I nearly catch.
In conclusion three points weren't for the want of trying, the conditions were awful but this should not been seen as an excuse. For the first 45 we bossed the game and for most of the second half however whilst only 1-0 we kept the nervousness amongst us well nervous. The Bradford Press Contingent (there were more than the CFC lot) were at one point becoming despondent but due to our not being used to winning effect was always worrying. City looked like they were going to score but we equally could have got a winner. Disappointment rung around Saltergate at the final whistle but if you look at it from a game by game basis we played better than Wednesday night. What a better chance to beat the hoodoo against the Yellow beings in two weeks time? From a damp Saltergate we have a trip to keep the away run going next week at Accrington minus Kovacs. A little more composure and we would have won the game, but the fact of the matter is we drew a game we in reality had enough chances to win.
Subs Not Used: Downes, Winter, Lester.
Booked: Kovacs.
Goals: Rooney 13.
Subs Not Used: Phelan, Ndumbu-Nsungu, Waite.
Goals: Nix 77.
Att: 3,727.
Ref: Anthony Taylor (Greater
by PAUL FISHER
