City 4 - 0 Chesterfield

Last updated : 02 February 2004 By Footymad Previewer

The sheer exuberance of starlet Leroy Lita turned a hard fought Bristol City win into a rout.

When the 19-year-old was sent on they were consolidating around skipper Tom Doherty's first-half volley, which had pointed them to a fifth win in a row.

Lita's enthusiastic running was to completely unsettle Chesterfield, who have not won a match at Ashton Gate in 20 visits spread over the last 103 years, and they fell apart, letting in three goals in the last six minutes.

Lita volleyed in the first of them from seven yards out from a Louis Carey cross.

Carey then hammered in a goal of his own, before new signing Marc Goodfellow ran in the last, his second in two games since being signed from Stoke City for £100,000.

Doherty's goal was a beauty of a volley after Chesterfield had almost cleared a corner; he drove it low and fearlessly wide of Carl Muggleton's left hand.

From then on City never looked likely to surrender their lead.

Chesterfield had got off to an enterprising start with three strikes at goal, a long-range chip from Jamie McMaster, a drive from Mark Innes and a Glynn Hurst volley.

But they were never able to bring up enough support and as they found themselves consistently outnumbered the tide turned City's way.

Things went badly for the Spireites when they lost Ian Evatt to a facial cut on the half hour. They played on for six minutes a man short until Stuart Howson was sent on.

City had been well primed on a perceived uncertainty by Muggleton dealing with crosses from his right and, as they put him under pressure, he twice came and missed the ball.

From one, Lee Peacock skied a six-yard shot well over the bar and from the second Tony Butler directed a header wide of the far post.

Just before his departure, Evatt had grazed City's bar with a header from one of their rare corners.

McMaster later on almost revived Chesterfield when he came out on top of a duel with Steve Phillips in the home goal, but Danny Coles was there to clear up on the line, and it was Chesterfield's last chance.