BRADFORD CITY AFC

Following his decisive second half penalty against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, Clarke grabbed his fourth goal of the season at the Proact Stadium when he rifled home from inside the box past Chesterfield shot-stopper Ray Fulton following Nicky Law's short corner in the opening period.

City arguably should have had more than Clarke's goal to show for at the break following a dominant display throughout the half.

Ahead of Clarke's opener, Timothee Dieng had fired narrowly wide from outside the box while Jordy Hiwula came within inches of converting at the far post following Mark Marshall's shot across goal.

After Hiwula had seen a shot from inside the area deflect over the bar via Sam Hird midway through the first half, City took the lead via the resulting corner.

Law's quick thinking found Clarke unmarked in the box and the Irish striker took the pass in his stride before firing high into the net, beating Fulton by his near post.

Chesterfield had a chance to equalise shortly afterwards when they were awarded a free-kick outside the area but Kristian Dennis' goal-bound effort from the set-piece was superbly tipped over by Colin Doyle.

Despite that brief scare, City continued on the front foot going into the break. Marshall and Hiwula forced Fulton into decent reaction saves with fierce drives, with Law firing narrowly wide with an angled drive sandwiched in between those two efforts.

The Bantams ended the half with Hiwula heading straight at Fulton from a Marshall cross.

Attacking to a packed away end in the second period, City resumed their search for goals.

Hiwula went close to doubling the lead for Stuart McCall's men less than 90 seconds after the restart but his close range flick from James Meredith's cross hit the chest of Fulton.

Chesterfield tried to force their way into the contest - Conor Wilkinson threatening on a couple of occasions - but City still looked largely in control of the contest and the more likely scorers as time wore on.

Meredith fired narrowly wide with an angled drive after being found neatly in the box by a pass from Hiwula. 

City could have put the game to bed in injury time but Josh Cullen saw an effort from deep inside the area blocked behind Tom Anderson. Meredith then fired over from a decent position inside the box after latching onto Romain Vincelot's big clearance forward.

The missed chances didn't matter one jot, however, as McCall's side secured the win to make it eleven games unbeaten at the start of the season, moving City up to second in the Sky Bet League One table in the process.

90+3min: Vincelot's big clearance forward bounces through into the path of Meredith, landing the Australian through on goal. The left back moves forward into the box but fires over the bar from an angle with Vuckic looking for a pass in the middle.

90+1min: Marshall's low ball across the penalty area eventually lands at the feet of Cullen and his close range effort is blocked behind for a corner via the legs of Anderson.

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

86min: Running onto Morais' pass, Marshall turns back onto his right foot inside the area before firing in an angled drive wide of Fulton's far post.

78min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Haris Vuckic and Filipe Morais for Billy Clarke and Law.

77min: Dieng turns away from Dimaio before firing in a left-footed shot from outside the box which is held by Fulton.

76min: SUB - Chesterfield bring Ricky German for Nolan.

76min: Ariyibi gets free down Chesterfield's right wing but his testing low cross into the six yard box is vitally kicked clear by a well-placed Darby.

72min: YELLOW CARD - Jon Nolan is booked for a late tackle on Law over by City's left flank.

69min: A great pass from Hiwula finds Meredith in space inside the box but the left back's low angled drive goes a whisker or so wide of Fulton's far post.

68min: YELLOW CARD - Hird is booked for bringing down Hiwula after the striker had looked to race onto a forward pass from Billy Clarke.

66min: Chesterfield break forward at pace after winning the ball in midfield but Ariyibi's cross towards the far post is just out of the reach of the lurking Wilkinson.

65min: Wilkinson runs at Darby before firing in an angled drive from just inside the box that goes high and wide of Doyle's near post.

63min: Not for the first time this afternoon, Law and Meredith link up well down City's left flank but the latter's low cross into the six yard box finds a Chesterfield player first and the home side can clear.

63min: SUB - Chesterfield bring on Connor Dimaio for Dennis.

61min: O'Shea tries his luck direct from a free-kick roughly 25 yards out but his shot sails well high and wide into the stand behind Doyle's goal.

60min: Law gets free down City's left flank after getting the better of Liam Graham. After running into plenty of space inside the box, Law looks to find a team-mate in the box but Hird is first onto the attempted cross and can clear.

59min: Maguire's free-kick from deep into the box is headed back into the mix by Tom Anderson but Wilkinson's header towards goal is easily gathered up by Doyle.

53min: Dennis' deep cross finds Conor Wilkinson in space and in between two City defenders deep inside the box but the striker's downward header lacks power and direction though, dropping harmlessly wide of Doyle's near post.

47min: Hiwula denied from block point range! Meredith's low ball across the six yard box is flicked for goal from close range by Hiwula but the effort hits the chest of Fulton before Chesterfield can clear their lines.

46min: Chesterfield restart the match.

HT SUB - Chesterfield bring on Jay O'Shea for Reece Mitchell before the start of the second period.

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

45min: Marshall's cross into the box is met by the head of Hiwula but the effort is straight at Fulton.

42min: Billy Clarke's looping pass forward finds Hiwula in space down City's left flank. As Hiwula moves into the box from wide, the striker fires low for goal and Fulton deflects the ball up and behind by his near post.

40min: Ariyibi turns away from Romain Vincelot before driving into the box from wide. Ariyibi's low ball into the six yard box is blocked by Darby as the defender falls to the ground before Knight-Percival clears. The home fans appeal for handball and a penalty after suggestions that the ball hit Darby's arm as he fell over but referee Mr Darren Bond is unmoved.

38min: Gboly Ariyibi finds Dennis in the box but the striker's shot on the turn is deflected behind by Nathaniel Knight-Percival.

35min: Dieng finds Law in space over by City's left flank and the midfielder drives into the box before firing in an angled strike that goes not too far away from Fulton's far post.

33min: Clarke plays the ball wide to Marshall inside the area and the winger's fierce drive is pushed up into the air by Fulton. City keep the pressure on and Hiwula has the ball in the net from a Darby cross seconds later but the header is ruled out for offside.

31min: Kristian Dennis' free-kick from roughly 25 yards out looks to be top-corner bound until Colin Doyle's thrusts up his left hand to tip the effort over the bar. 

29min: Clearly full of confidence after his goal, Billy Clarke tries his luck from distance but Fulton is able to cling onto the low effort.

26min: Darby's cross finds Hiwula in space inside the box but the striker's shot loops over the bar for a corner following a deflection off Chesterfield defender Sam Hird.

25min: A great driving run from Marshall ends with the winger forcing his way into the box and firing across goal, with a sliding Hiwula inches away from converting over by the far post.

21min: Billy Clarke plays the ball into Hiwula but the striker's shot on the turn from the edge of the area loops over.

16min: Stephen Darby throws in-field to an unmarked Timothee Dieng, and the French midfielder makes use of the space afforded to him by rifling in a low drive from roughly 25 yards out that whistles narrowly past Fulton's far post.

14min: Chasing onto a pass out to the left from Billy Clarke, Law hooks the ball into six yard box from near the byline but Ray Fulton just manages to grab hold of the cross by his near post narrowly ahead of a lurking Hiwula.

9min: Jordy Hiwula tries to play Mark Marshall in behind Chesterfield's defence and through on goal deep inside the box but the pass is crucially intercepted by Laurence Maguire before Marshall fouls the Chesterfield left back while attempting to win the ball back.

7min: Nicky Law pulls the ball back from the left to Josh Cullen, who is waiting in the middle just inside the box. The midfielder goes to curl for goal but the ball appears to bobble up at him as he goes to strike and effort sails harmlessly over.

0min: The Bantams kick off the match.

Fulton, Graham, Anderson, Hird, Maguire, Ariyibi, Liddle, Nolan, Mitchell, Wilkinson, Dennis

Subs: Parkin, Evatt, Gardner, Humphreys, Dimaio, O'Shea, German

O'Shea for Mitchell (46), Dimaio for Dennis (63), German for Nolan (76)

Chesterfield cautions:
Hird (68), Nolan (72)

Doyle, Darby, Vincelot, Knight-Percival, Meredith, Marshall, Cullen, Dieng, Law, B Clarke, Hiwula

Subs: Sattelmaier, Rabiega, Vuckic, Morais, McArdle, Devine, Kilgallon

Vuckic for B Clarke (78), Morais for Law (78)