The Bantams were denied a deserved away-day victory by an injury time equaliser from Chesterfield.
Looking in control for the majority of the second half, City seemed to be heading for their fourth win on the trot until Sam Togwell was left free to smash home from close range in the third minute of over-time from a Chesterfield corner.
The late Spireites leveller was cruel on City after Phil Parkinson's side, who were roared on by a vocal 2,000+ support throughout an enthralling encounter, had put a strong and determined display against testing opponents.
The afternoon didn't start in the best of fashions for City when they lost Andrew Davies in the warm-up to a calf problem, meaning Michael Nelson had to jump up from the bench to take the former Middlesbrough defender's place in City's starting eleven.
The Bantams would go on to suffer more injury woe during the match itself as well when Kyel Reid was forced off at half-time with a groin complaint.
Chesterfield started the match the brighter, with Jon McLaughlin denying Drew Talbot from a early home corner, but it wasn't too long before the Bantams were into their stride.
City took the lead of the match for the first time around ten minutes before the interval when Nahki Wells controlled a James Hanson flick-on from a James Meredith throw-in before volleying past a helpless Tommy Lee from inside the area.
Buoyed by their lead, Parkinson's men started the second half strongly and looked to have a hold on the contest during the opening exchanges after the restart.
Chesterfield were let back in it with twenty minutes remaining, however, when Tendayi Dariwka was allowed to sneak in and connect with Marc Richards' low near post cross by slotting past Jon McLaughlin.
City shrugged off the blow of being pegged back though to retake the lead through a first of the season for Ricky Ravenhill less than ten minutes later.
Barely seconds after City had seen a massive penalty shout turned down for a handball against Liam Cooper, Ravenhill was on hand to side-foot home from the edge of the area after Lee had punched a Jones corner into his path.
Despite Chesterfield throwing more and more men forward, it seemed Ravenhill's strike would be the winner until Togwell's late intervention for the hosts.
As frustrating as the draw may have seen to Parkinson and his players post-match, it does at least guarantee that City, who stay in seventh, will something to play for come their last league game of the season at Cheltenham Town in two weeks time.
MATCH UPDATES:
FT: Chesterfield 2 Bradford City 2
90+5min: Wells has a late chance to enjoy a one-on-one situation but a heavy touch after picking the ball out of the sky sees the ball roll through into a grateful Lee's hands.
90+3min: GOAL - Chesterfield 2 Bradford City 2 - Disaster for City as a Chesterfield corner goes across the City penalty area before finding an unmarked Sam Togwell, who smashes home from just outside the six yard box.
90+2min: Henshaw's dangerous and teasing cross is headed behind by Nelson with a couple of home players waiting to head in.
90+1min: YELLOW CARD - Hines is booked for dragging back Darikwa as the winger tried to surge forward from inside his half.
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on.
83min: SUB - Chesterfield bring on Alex Henshall for O'Shea.
80min: SUB - Chesterfield bring on Jack Lester for Gnanduillet.
79min: GOAL!!!! Chesterfield 1 Bradford City 2 - The Bantams are back in front!!!! Jones' teasing delivery from another corner is only half-cleared by Chesterfield as far as the lurking Ravenhill, who fires the ball back for goal with a controlled side-footed effort that goes through a group of players and into the net. Trotman, who is almost in the back of the goal, kicks the ball away but the effort was clearly over the line before the defender's intervention.
78min: City have massive appeals for a penalty turned down! A low Jones corner eventually works its way through to Hines on the far side. The winger strikes for goal and his effort clearly seems to be blocked behind by the arms of Cooper. Much to the disbelief of the City players nearby though, nothing other than another corner is given.
74min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Zavon Hines for Thompson.
73min: YELLOW CARD - Thompson is booked for catching Talbot with a high boot midway into City's half.
70min: GOAL - Chesterfield 1 Bradford City 1 - Chesterfield equalise through Dariwka. Richards' low cross picks out the unmarked Dariwka by the near post and the winger is able to fire home past McLaughlin.
68min: O'Shea fires a good few yards over the bar with a first time strike from outside the area.
66min: YELLOW CARD - Trotman is booked for taking out Atkinson during a promising City attack.
56min: SUB - Chesterfield have brought on Marc Richards for Townsend.
54min: YELLOW CARD - Townsend is cautioned himself for clattering into Wells with a late tackle just inside Chesterfield's own half.
52min: YELLOW CARD - Gnanduillet is booked for catching Ricky Ravenhill in the face with a high boot as the pair contested a bouncing ball.
50min: Wells is first to Hanson's headed down following Meredith's far post but the Bermudian first time flick for goal from a difficult position inside the six yard box goes over the bar.
50min: Wells spins away from Trotman to latch onto a lofted pass from Nelson but the striker drive for goal an angle about eight yards out is crucially blocked by the diving frame of Liam Cooper.
47min: Wells drives at a retreating Trotman but his eventual shot from just outside Chesterfield's penalty box sails well wide of goal.
46min: The Bantams restart the match.
HT SUB - City bring on Will Atkinson for Reid.
HT: Chesterfield 0 Bradford City 1
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
40min: Hanson connects with a in-swinging Wells cross but his glancing header bounces well wide of the target.
36min: GOAL!!!!!!! - Chesterfield 0 Bradford City 1 - City have the lead through a quality finish from Wells. Controlling a Hanson headed flick-on on his chest, Wells volleys into the bottom corner past a helpless Lee from just inside the area.
33min: Michael Nelson heads into the side-netting by Lee's far post following Jones' flighted free-kick from wide into the area.
32min: Townsend's effort direct from the resulting free-kick around 30 yards out is comfortably saved by McLaughlin.
31min: YELLOW CARD - James Meredith is booked for blocking off Darikwa as the Chesterfield right winger looked to surge forward deep into City territory.
29min: CHANCE - Alarm bells begin to ring for the Bantams as Tendayi Darikwa is played into space behind City's back-line over by the hosts' right flank. Racing clear for goal, Darikwa fires in a powerfully-struck angled drive from just inside the area but the drive is pushed out by McLaughlin.
27min: CHANCE - Nahki Wells fires over on the half-volley from a good shooting position only around eight yards out. Thompson's first time cross seems to bounce kindly into the path of the Bermudian but, under pressure from behind from Liam Cooper, he can only slash a left-footed effort wide.
13min: Mark Randall's searching cross from deep is met by the giant frame of Armand Gnanduillet in the middle. The striker, who jumps for the ball with McLaughlin, glances a header on but, thanks mainly to a flick off McLaughlin's gloves, the effort bounces a couple of yards wide of City's goal.
11min: James Hanson tries to nip in on goal when Rory McArdle's free-kick forward is missed by Neal Trotman. Tommy Lee is out bravely, however, and dives at the striker's feet to block out any attempt on goal.
9min: CHANCE - Jon McLaughlin has to make a fine reaction save on his line to keep out an effort from Drew Talbot following a testing corner into the mix from Conor Townsend corner.
4min: Jay O'Shea goes for a curler around 20 yards out but the effort bounces a couple of yards wide of Jon McLaughlin's goal.
0min: Chesterfield kick off.
2:59pm: With the away end behind the goal sold out and in full voice, City and hosts Chesterfield come out to a great reception ahead of the big kick off. To add to City's vocal support, the Bantams also have a section of fans in the East Stand at the side of the main away end.
2:40pm: There has been a bit of a blow pre-match for City with the news that Andrew Davies - presumably injured in the warm up - has had to drop out and will be replaced by fellow centre half Michael Nelson in City's starting eleven. Andy Gray will now be among City's substitutes following Nelson's sudden promotion up into the line up.
CHESTERFIELD LINE UP