Last-gasp leveller leaves Bantams with mixed emotions

A win at the new b2net Stadium would have been every bit as impressive as Peter Taylor’s debut victory at Spotland last March.

And they so nearly pulled it off.

But when the head shaking over Chester-field’s late, late leveller subsides, City and their magnificently vocal travelling fans can acknowledge a heartening afternoon.

At least we can see a chink of light in that black cloud that has parked above Valley Parade in recent weeks.

It could have been brighter; it should have been brighter had City dealt with that final stoppage-time cross as they had done with most of its predecessors.

But after four losses on the spin, a point’s a point; especially against the team with the division’s best home record.

Chesterfield don’t just score in every game at their new home. They also usually win them.

Only three of the previous 13 visitors had left with any reward. So Saturday’s draw should not be underestimated.

Of course, it will only mean something if City follow it up with the right result against Lincoln tomorrow.

The Imps themselves have won three in a row. But then Chesterfield were unbeaten in seven – and had not conceded in the last three.

James Hanson, whose header for so long looked like being City’s winner, hopes a line has been drawn in the sand after all the recent misery.

Hanson said: “You expect to hold on when you’re coming to the last ten minutes 2-1 up. We thought we had done but didn’t deal with that ball in the end and got punished.

“We’re all gutted but it’s still a great point. It’s what we needed after the back-to-back defeats.

“We worked extremely hard and the gaffer was always confident we’d get something. Chesterfield score a lot of goals but they can also concede.

“We haven’t been scoring many but he said we could cause them some problems and I think we did that.

“It’s a big week for us and this is a good start. We’re not going into training on Monday morning feeling down, as we have done in the last two or three weeks.”

The home fans crowed “You’re getting sacked in the morning” as Taylor’s team struggled to get out their own half in the opening exchanges.

The manager responded, as always, with sarcastic applause but must have feared the worst when Chesterfield struck the first blow in the tenth minute.

Jack Lester produced his one moment of note in an otherwise disinterested display, teasing enough of an opening to supply left winger Danny Whitaker for a sweet finish.

We all settled in for a very long afternoon.

But City came straight back at them. Hanson was foiled by the agility of one-time Oakworth Junior Tommy Lee before the big man’s presence played a significant part in the equaliser.

Intended target Hanson missed Leon Osborne’s cross but his dive took Ian Breckin with him and deceived the home defence, leaving David Syers on his own to half-volley his eighth goal of the campaign.

Chances were swapped at either end. Gareth Evans and Osborne found good positions for City, while Luke Oliver pulled off an inch-perfect tackle on Craig Davies in the away box.

City’s performance was chalk and cheese compared with the last Saturday outing at Oxford a fortnight earlier. There had been good moments against Crewe but this time they put it all together.

A solid back four kept the clamp on free-scoring Davies and Lester, overseen by Jon Worthington in the holding role. What a useful acquisition he’s going to be when fully up to match speed and fitness.

Worthington’s calming presence gave Syers and Tom Adeyemi scope to bomb up and down alongside him, backing up a front three boosted by Hanson’s aerial control over Breckin.

City’s attacking edge improved further when Omar Daley replaced the injured Osborne before half-time. Even though Chesterfield spotted the danger by bringing on quicker right back Javan Vidal at the break, Daley gave them a run for their money with every touch.

Vidal was flailing in his slipstream when Daley’s sprint and cross went unrewarded as nobody had gambled at the near post.

But Hanson was in exactly the right place for the right ball eight minutes into the second half.

He was also right to applaud the contribution from Evans in the build-up after it seemed that City’s best chance had just gone begging.

Adeyemi burst into the box but narrowly failed to reach Hanson’s knockdown from a cross by Luke O’Brien. But Evans refused to let the opportunity disappear, rescuing possession on the touchline and delivering the sort of cross that Hanson dreams about.

“I knew it was mine as soon as he put it up there,” smiled Hanson. “It was a great ball in from Evo. I’ve been asking them for a while to hang it up in a good area where I can attack like that.

“I was quite disappointed not to get another one after that from OB’s cross. I just mistimed my jump.

“But playing like we did should bring confidence back to the attacking players. If we can go to the leaders and score a couple then we should be able to take that forward.”

City inevitably got pushed further and further back as Chesterfield threw everything at an equaliser.

Jon McLaughlin saved from Mark Allott and Michael Flynn arrived on the pitch in the nick of time to cut out a dangerous cross from Drew Talbot. Sub Deane Smalley then blew a glorious chance by skying a free header from eight yards. City’s three-point mission looked complete.

But then Gregor Robertson pinged in one last centre, City failed to react to Breckin’s flick-on and Jordan Bowery – who’d been on the pitch for less than ten minutes – found room to swivel and shoot past McLaughlin.