The Spireites slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Bradford City in the final game of 2024, after Armando Dobra gave them a first-half lead.
Dobra’s strike was the Spireites’ 98th and final goal of the calendar year.
Paul Cook made one change from the starting XI that lost 2-0 on Boxing Day at Fleetwood Town as Bailey Hobson replaced James Berry; Ali Mohiuddin also made the bench.
The Spireites had a great opportunity to go ahead after Dilan Markanday pounced on a defensive mistake and laid off to Liam Mandeville who cut inside on his left foot and saw his curling effort just evade Sam Walker’s right-hand post.
There were four yellow cards distributed between the 22nd and 31st minute to Kane Drummond for Chesterfield and Aden Baldwin, Brad Halliday and Jay Benn for the hosts by referee Adam Herczeg, which led to frustration from the Bradford fans.
In the 35th minute, the Spireites deservedly broke the deadlock through Dobra. A signature Ollie Banks long ball found Markanday out wide whose low cross found the goal scorer – his initial shot was blocked but then he smashed past Walker at the second time of asking.
A fantastic, goal-saving block from Baldwin prevented the Bantams conceding a second in quick succession after Hobson’s strike from range was parried by Walker in goal and fell to Dobra, who would have tapped in if it was not for the defender’s block.
Chesterfield were pegged back to 1-1 in the 43rd minute by early Bradford substitute Bobby Pointon, whose instinctive finish concluded a quick-counter attack, led by Alex Pattison, on the brink of half-time.
It was not the last action of the half as Chesterfield were inches from regaining the lead after Mandeville’s cross found the head of Dobra, but the effort struck a post as the two sides went into the interval at one-goal apiece.
The hosts went ahead in the 52nd minute through Antoni Sarcevic after he capitalised on a loose back pass, eventually rounding Max Thompson and firing past Jamie Grimes who attempted to recover and make a block on the line.
Midway through the second half, Sarcevic beat the offside trap down the right flank and cut back to Andy Cook who looked to have a tap-in before Tom Naylor’s heroic challenge to turn the ball away for a corner.
With less than ten minutes remaining, a deep free kick in favour of the Spireites found its way out to Ryheem Sheckleford who cut back to Mandeville and his cross found Naylor to get a shot on goal, which was saved comfortably by Walker.
Chesterfield could not find a way back into the game in the final stages as Graham Alexander’s side took all three points.
The Spireites will go into 2025 ninth in League Two as attention turns to the next game against MK Dons on New Year’s Day back at the SMH Group Stadium after back-to-back away games.
Spireites: Thompson, Sheckleford, Naylor, Grimes ©, Araujo (Horton 72’), Banks, Mandeville, Markanday, Dobra, Mandeville, Drummond (Oldaker 72’).
Unused subs: Boot, Jessop, Mohiuddin, Cook, Elliott.
Attendance: 18,730 (2,341 Spireites)
