Bradford (Park Avenue) produced another cup upset as they booked their place in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round Qualifying, with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Lancaster City at the Horsfall Community Stadium.
With the visitors currently ranked one division above Bradford, the Dolly Blues looked to assert their influence early on and came close in the 11th minute, when Nathan Caine spotted Declan Lambton off his line, only to see his lobbed effort drift wide of the target.
The Avenue withstood the early Lancaster City pressure admirably, and their battling nature was summed up perfectly by the opening goal.
In the 19th minute, Luke Parkin picked up possession outside the penalty area and showed great strength and determination to hold off the Dolly Blues defender, before firing an accurate left-footed effort into the bottom corner.
The goal settled the home side, who quickly looked to double their advantage. Five minutes later, Parkin was involved once again, attempting an acrobatic overhead kick from close range, but his effort was blocked by the visiting defence.
Just before the half-hour mark, Lancaster City almost found an equaliser. An in-swinging corner from the right looked destined to go directly into the goal, but Lambton showed great reflexes to prevent the ball from crossing the line.
As the half drew to an end, the Avenue came agonisingly close to doubling their advantage.
Marcus Carver’s volley from inside the area crashed back off the crossbar with visiting goalkeeper Brad Kelly seemingly beaten. The Lancaster defence could only scramble to clear their lines, but the ball fell to Robbie Fox, whose left-footed effort struck the outside of the post. The Green Army could scarcely believe they had not found a second, having come within inches of a two-goal cushion in a breathless passage of play.
In the 55th minute, the woodwork proved to be Carver’s nemesis once more. The striker found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and attempted an audacious lob, but with Kelly beaten again, the ball bounced back off the crossbar.
As the second half wore on, the home side showed no intention of sitting back and protecting their lead.
In the 67th minute, Kareem Hassan-Smith, the hero of the previous round, demonstrated immense strength to hold off his marker, but his powerful effort from a tight angle was pushed away by Kelly.
The Avenue managed the remainder of the game superbly, defending their lead with determination and discipline, while continuing to look a threat on the break themselves.
The back line stood firm as Lancaster pushed for an equaliser, producing a series of last-ditch tackles and crucial blocks to ensure the visitors were unable to create any clear-cut opportunities.
Despite the mounting pressure, Bradford remained resolute until the final whistle to secure a memorable victory and book their place in the Third Round Qualifying.
Once again, Bradford (Park Avenue) have shown that they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with opposition from a division above, securing another remarkable cup victory without ever looking out of place. It is an incredible achievement for the Green Army, who can now look forward to discovering their Third Round Qualifying opponents when the draw is made on Monday 21 September.
For now, the celebrations can begin, with the Avenue having earned another memorable chapter in their Emirates FA Cup journey.
League football resumes next Saturday, 26th September, when Garforth Town visit the Horsfall Community Stadium for a West Yorkshire derby.
Match Report by Ste Grimshaw
Date: Saturday 19th September 2026
Full Time: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-0 Lancaster City
Attendance: 547
Kick-off: 15:00pm
Referee: Ashton Wroe
Venue: Horsfall Community Stadium
Bradford (Park Avenue): Lambton, Brown, Winfield, Abbott, Misambo, Ible (C), Hassan-Smith, Ekpolo, Carver (B. Thompson 85′), Parkin (Moke 89′), Fox (Andreucci 78′)
Unused Substitutes: Jones, J. Thompson, Duxbury
Goalscorer: Parkin (19′)
Lancaster City: Kelly, Amison, Thompson, Moonan, Oliver, C. Bailey (J. Bailey 76′), Moonan (Craig 62′), Jackson (Nolan 76′), Evangelinos (C), Caine (Lawson 62′), Yawson (Evers 62′)
Unused Substitutes: S. Bailey, Graham