CHESTERFIELD 2 CITY 1

City's serene pre-season progress hit a bump in the road last night, as they suffered their first defeat under Derek Adams with a 2-1 loss to Chesterfield.

The Spireites roared out of the blocks, scoring twice early on through a pair of familiar faces.

Danny Rowe, just a few months after his short, explosive spell with the Bantams, turned the ball in at the near post in the opening couple of minutes.

Stefan Payne, who was sent off for a headbutt on former Bantam and then-Grimsby teammate Filipe Morais at Valley Parade in April, doubled the Spireites' advantage after only five minutes.

City, who had hit the post through Ollie Crankshaw in the first half, changed their whole team at the break and were rewarded with a much improved performance.

Paudie O'Connor halved the deficit with a thumping header before Charles Vernam hit the woodwork.

O'Connor was denied at the death by a stunning save, as City just slipped to a defeat.

In a lively start, which saw Andy Cook almost get in down the middle on two occasions, a neat move from Chesterfield down the right saw Calvin Miller go on a driving run before playing in Jack Clarke.

He slid the ball across the face of goal and it was Rowe of all people who forced the ball home at the near post.

The irrepressible Clarke grabbed himself another assist moments later, playing an eye of the needle ball through to Rowe's strike partner Payne.

There were suspicions of offside, and City's defenders appealed, but to no avail, as Payne slotted the ball past Richard O'Donnell to double the home side's advantage.

Miller was playing well for Chesterfield and he almost fashioned a third for his side.

He burst down the left and swung in a lovely cross to the penalty spot, where Saidou Khan headed just over.

Rowe was clearly in the mood for a second, and saw his 25-yard effort awkwardly beaten away by O'Donnell.

But City came mighty close to halving the deficit moments later. Cook's knockdown put Crankshaw in on goal, but the winger's shot from the angle cannoned back off the post.

Chesterfield nearly went three up before the break. Rowe fed the brilliant Miller out on the left and he drove past Finn Cousin-Dawson.

The full-back fired the ball across goal and a wicked deflection off Jorge Sikora looked to have taken the ball in, but O'Donnell somehow clawed it away.

City changed their whole team at the start of the second half, and the impact was stark. Vernam went close twice early on, before City won a dangerous free-kick down the right.

Callum Cooke swung a fine ball in and there was towering Irishman O'Connor to crash a header down and in past Scott Loach.

Vernam was looking a threat. He made a brilliant run but no one was there for the cut back. He went close again seconds later, playing a neat one-two with Cooke before being denied by a brave challenge.

Oscar Threlkeld then clipped a lovely cross-field ball over to Vernam. He drove past the the defender but saw his low shot well saved by the feet of Loach.

Substitute City stopper Sam Hornby had to win a ball over the top against Nathan Tyson and he did so, just, coming charging out of his box to clear.

City were soon back trying to equalise, and Chesterfield's trialist keeper gave the home fans a scare when he nearly fumbled Elliot Watt's free kick into his own net.

City went even closer minutes later, when Vernam crashed a header from Levi Sutton's cross on to the crossbar, with Lee Angol unable to turn the rebound in.

A brilliant move by the Bantams in the final couple of minutes saw a one-two between Angol and Sutton put the former through on goal, only for him to be denied by a last-ditch tackle from a trialist.

Angol then returned the favour for Sutton. He went to ground under a challenge, but to the despair of the midfielder, the penalty appeals were waved away.

At the death, Cooke's free kick was headed towards goal by O'Connor, but was brilliantly saved by the hitherto-shaky trialist.

That proved to be that, as City huffed and puffed but could not blow the Chesterfield door down.

CHESTERFIELD: Loach (Trialist 74), King, Miller (Rowley 71), Gunning, Maguire (Trialist 34), Grimes, Oyeleke (Trialist 82), Khan (McCourt 46), Clarke (Mandeville 46), Rowe (Weston 55), Payne (Tyson 63).

CITY: O'Donnell (Hornby 46), Cousin-Dawson (Threlkeld 46), Kelleher (O'Connor 46), Sikora (Canavan 46), Foulds (Ridehalgh 46), Evans (Watt 46), Staunton (Sutton 46), Crankshaw (Gilliead 46), Scales (Vernam 46), Eisa (Cooke 46), Cook (Angol 46).