First day jitters appeared to get the better of Chesterfield as Dave Bentley's side produced a below par performance in a match that was all but over by half time. Three first half goals were enough to send Chesterfield's heads crashing to the floor as they failed to climb the mountain they had set themselves in their first youth alliance league game of the season.
Bradford opted to kick off the match and with the added advantage of the wind behind them, they were the first to produce a goal bound opportunity. The Bantams lively number seven used his pace to create enough space to fire an opening. His superb low drilled shot was met by Scott Webb with an equally superb save, when he reacted rapidly to deny Bradford taking the lead.
The home side continued their pressure and in a short spell Chesterfield had to defend three consecutive corners. Despite the early dominance and with their backs against the wall, Chesterfield came back and with their first effort on goal almost broke the deadlock. Tendayi Darikwa tried his luck from distance after a cleared free kick found its way to the midfielder, but unfortunately his effort narrowly missed the target.
With only one effort on goal by either side in the opening 20 minutes, it seemed that neither side could create anything of real danger.
That all changed on 24 minutes, when a miss judged pass to Sandy Moller, from centre back Matt Needham, was intercepted by the Bantams number seven. Moller's slip gifted the attacker the space to produce his, and Bradford's second shot of the match, but this time Webb couldn't do too much about the attempt on goal, despite getting a hand to the ball.
Bradford doubled their lead on the half hour mark from their fifth corner of the match. Chesterfield's poor marking and lack of desire to get to the ball first meant that the home side were easily able to convert from just six yards, as the whole set piece appeared to occur in slow motion.
Just minutes later, another sloppy Chesterfield play resulted in a 25 yard rasping shot by the home side, and with Webb at full stretch the ball appeared to be destined for goal, but ended up missing the target by just inches.
If Chesterfield should have been punished for that move, they certainly was with the next. Just three minutes after the goal, a disorganised Chesterfield back four failed to clear the simplest of balls, and as it landed at the number eight's feet, he proceeded to smash the ball past Webb from just inside the box. Great shooting vs. poor defending is never a fair battle and the outcome is only going to go one way.
Bradford's number seven, who had got the better side of the Chesterfield back four all half, continued his impressive first half display and almost got on the score sheet again, but Webb managed to get enough on the shot to deflect it onto the post.
Josh Wright scored Chesterfield's first goal
As the downpour of rain started, Chesterfield's sun shine appeared to finally come out, as striker Josh Wright pulled a goal back for the Spireites minutes before half time, after Jordan Burrow's neat header.
Chesterfield came out for the second half more positive and seemed to take a more encouraging look on the game despite the score line. Burrow came close on a few occasions after the interval, but couldn't really latch onto anything of real threat.
Totally against the run of play, Bradford put any hope of a Chesterfield come back to bed by scoring their fourth of the game. A distanced shot was sliced by Webb, who tried his best to track back and save this error from becoming permanent, but failed to do so.
Chesterfield's complacency had gifted Bradford yet another goal and the Spireites reactions told the story of the match.
Ryan Granger's mentality stayed positive as he tried to lift his side, but half a dozen half hearted attacks were all the Spireites could manage as the clock quickly ran down.
Wright and Burrow came close on a few occasions to creating something, but in the end the home side wasn't threatened.
With four minutes of stoppage time to be added on, Chesterfield managed to pull some sort of consolation back with the last kick of the match.
Sam Smith on the scoresheet for a late second goal
Darikwa's through ball picked out Sam Smith, who neatly chipped the goalkeeper and his shot hit the bar and went in. In different circumstances that would have been an admirable goal, but today wasn't that day.
Chesterfield (4-4-2) : Webb, Granger (Handbury 85), Moller, Clare, Needham, Clay, Darikwa, Adcock, Smith, Burrow, Wright
Subs Not Used: Palmer, Beaglehole, Edridge
Goals: Wright 43, Smith 90
Report by Adam Hulme, the Spireites youth team reporter
