BRADFORD CITY AFC

Following their goals at Northampton Town on Monday, Mark Marshall and Jordy Hiwula also made the difference for the Bantams against the Spireites with strikes in the first period to help City on their way to a 2-0 win.

Marshall opened the scoring midway through the half when his low cross-come-shot from a wide position inside the box found the far bottom corner.

Hiwula then doubled City's lead just before the break when he tapped home from close range after a well-timed run and cross from Josh Cullen.

With new signing Alex Jones in their starting line up, City could have took the lead as early as the ninth minute but Nathaniel Knight-Percival headed wide from a decent position following Tony McMahon's free-kick into the box.

Chesterfield responded with a header of their own - Ian Evatt forcing Colin Doyle into a decent save from a Jon Nolan corner - before Marshall fired City into the lead.

Despite some eye-catching football from the Bantams thereafter, Chesterfield could have equalised ten minutes before the break when Ched Evans fired against the post with a thumping drive from just inside the box.

Following that close shave, City kicked on and doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time through Hiwula.

Hiwula's goal gave McCall's men a strong foothold in the match but they had their hearts in their mouths briefly just past the hour mark when Nathaniel Knight-Percival tangled with Ched Evans as the striker looked to bear down on goal.

The visitors wanted a penalty as Evans tumbled to the ground and Knight-Percival emerged with the ball, but referee Mr Trevor Kettle allowed play to continue.

McCall replaced a bright but tiring debutant Jones with Stephen Darby twenty minutes from the end, moving McMahon and Marshall further forward as a result, and the changes seemed to have the desired effect.

Nicky Law's lofted pass into the box founds Hiwula in space but the striker's well-struck drive whistles narrowly wide of the near post.

Law's drive across goal just a minute later was then narrowly missed by a sliding James Meredith at the far post. 

Marshall nearly capped off the victory in style six minutes from the end when he danced past three Chesterfield defenders inside the box but his low drive was repelled by the legs of Fulton.

With City easing to victory at this stage, Timothee Dieng also saw a rising drive well saved by Fulton deep into injury time.

90+4min: Dieng's lofted effort towards goal from just inside the box is gathered up by Fulton on the stretch.

90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.

89min: YELLOW CARD - Donohue is booked for kicking the ball away in frustration after giving a corner away.

84min: Marshall shows some great footwork in the box to twist and turn his way away from Chesterfield players. The skill deserves a goal but Marshall's eventual low drive for goal is repelled by the legs of Fulton.

83min: SUB - Dan Gardner comes on for Mitchell.

83min: Wilkinson moves away from Vincelot before firing in a low drive from outside the area that is held by Doyle.

73min: Law turns into space after receiving the ball from McMahon inside the box. Law's driven shot-come-cross flashes across goal, with a diving Meredith narrowly missing out on sliding in by the far post.

72min: Law's delightful lofted pass finds Hiwula in a great position inside the box but the striker fires narrowly wide of Fulton's near post with a low powerful drive.

72min: Dieng plays the ball wide to McMahon, who fires in a teasing cross into the six yard box that a sliding Evatt has to put behind for a corner.

71min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Stephen Darby for Jones. It seems McMahon will now play in the right of midfield and Marshall will be given a free role behind Hiwula in attack.

69min: Cullen drives forward into space from just inside his own half to the edge of Chesterfield's penalty area. Cullen eventually feeds the ball out to Law but the midfielder's curling drive from just inside the box sails comfortably over the bar.

68min: SUB - Chesterfield bring on Conor Wilkinson for Simons.

68min: YELLOW CARD - Cullen is booked for bringing down Mitchell as the winger surged into City's half of the pitch.

66min: Dieng's low drive from outside the box flashes wide of Fulton's near post.

63min: Nolan's free-kick from wide finds Evans in space over by the far side of the penalty area but his looping effort for goal is blocked out by Vincelot.

63min: SUB - Chesterfield bring on Gboly Ariyibi for O'Neill.

61min: City have their heart in their mouths for a moment when Evans gets goal-side of Vincelot to latch onto a long ball from deep. Knight-Percival tries to recover the situation but appears to possibly knock into Evans as the claims possession of the ball. With the contact coming just inside the area, Evans seems to be appealing for a spot-kick but play is allowed to continue.

60min: Donohue's pass finds Evans in space just outside the box. The striker runs in-field at McMahon and into the box but his eventual low drive is easily held by Doyle.

53min: After being found by McMahon from a short free-kick, Jones turns neatly before firing the ball threateningly into the six yard box from wide. Chesterfield defender Tom Anderson has to be alert to the danger and he slices the ball over his bar as he clears the danger before any City player can look to pounce.

52min: Play restarts with Evans back on the pitch.

51min: Play is halted briefly to allow Evans to receive treatment for a whack to his face after the striker came off worse challenging Vincelot in the air for an aerial ball midway into City's half.

48min: Evans leads a bright Chesterfield attack forward as the striker bursts past Vincelot and into the box. From a tight angle deep inside the box, Evans sees a shot smothered out but the ball still breaks free to Mitchell just inside the box. Mitchell takes aim but McMahon is on hand to block out his shot before it can get near to Doyle's goal.

46min: Chesterfield restart the match.

45+2min: Neat interplay from City ends with Cullen slicing a shot wide from just outside the box.

45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.

44min: Nicky Law's ball to the far side of the penalty area picks out McMahon in space. McMahon fires in a looping strike towards goal but Fulton raises up to repel the effort, hanging on at the second attempt despite pressure from Jones.

43min: After receiving a pass in-field from Meredith, Marshall turns away from O'Neill inside the box before firing in a low shot that Fulton holds low to his right by his near post.

40min: Dieng and O'Neil clash heads as the pair go to attack Marshall's teasing cross into the six yard box. Neither player gets a meaningful touch on the ball as it bounces out for a throw-in over by the far side. Play has to be stopped briefly, however, to able both players to get checked over.

38min: Evans gets above Vincelot to reach Liam O'Neill's hooked ball into the box but the striker's powerful header is directed wide.

37min: Cullen tries to move into shooting space just outside the box but his eventual shot on goal deflects through comfortably into the grasp of Fulton.

35min: Evans hits the post! From Liddle's forward pass, Evans moves to just inside City's penalty area before rifling in a low angled drive that crashes against the base of Doyle's far post!

34min: Chesterfield threaten on the break as Evans evades the challenges of Knight-Percival and Vincelot to latch onto a bouncing ball first. Evans plays the ball wide to Reece Mitchell in space on the edge of the box, Mitchell tries to return the ball back to the Chesterfield but his centre is just out of reach of the stretching striker in the middle.

28min: From Josh Cullen's cross into the box, Vincelot heads down invitingly into the mix. Alex Jones looks to latch onto the ball and turn for goal from close range but he tumbles over as Fulton dives at his feet. The Bantams faithful behind the goal scream for a penalty but referee Mr Trevor Kettle allows play to continue.

26min: James Meredith's rising drive from a wide position inside the box flashes narrowly over Fulton's bar.

21min: McMahon goes for goal from distance with his weaker left foot and the effort flies not too far over Ryan Fulton's bar.

18min: Evatt's thumping header from a Jon Nolan corner is well held by Colin Doyle.

14min: The ball sits up nicely for Rai Simons just outside City's penalty area but the Bermudian's first time shot flashes over.

11min: A loose pass from Knight-Percival gives Ched Evans the opportunity to move clear into space down Chesterfield's left flank. Now inside the Bantams' box, Evans cuts the ball back from the byline but Romain Vincelot is on hand to scramble behind for a corner.

9min: Nathaniel Knight-Percival heads wide from a decent position deep inside the box after McMahon's resulting free-kick had found the defender in space.

8min: Dieng and Ian Evatt both require a spot of treatment following a clash of heads just outside Chesterfield's penalty area, with City awarded a free-kick as a result of the aerial tangle.

2min: Tony McMahon's low cross into the box is laid off into the path of Mark Marshall by Timothee Dieng. Marshall goes for a curler but the effort flashes over.

0min: The Bantams kick off the match. They will attack towards The Kop Stand in the first period.

BRADFORD CITY LINE UP:

Doyle, McMahon, Vincelot, Knight-Percival, Meredith, Marshall, Law, Cullen, Law, Jones, Hiwula

Subs: Sattelmaier, Darby, Hanson, McArdle, Devine, Webb-Foster, Kilgallon

Darby for Jones (71)

Cullen (68)

Fulton, O'Neill, Evatt, Anderson, Donohue, Hird, Liddle, Nolan, Mitchell, Simons, Evans

Subs: Allinson, Gardner, Dimaio, Wilkinson, Maguire, Ariyibi, Morrison

Ariyibi for O'Neill (63), Wilkinson for Simons (68), Gardner for Mitchell (83)

Donohue (89)