The hosts took a deserved lead as Brad Jackson’s deep cross was nodded home by striker George Waring. The Blues extended their advantage with goals from Anthony Dudley and Will Goodwin before a consolation effort from Lewis Knight but the Avenue’s Wembley dream is over for another year.

The home side started the better team, switching the play to both flanks and looking for Waring and Goodwin to get the better of the Bradford defence, but they dealt well with the early pressure.

The away side could’ve broke the deadlock, making the most of a sloppy pass from left-back Jamie Morgan. Knight was the quickest to react and he saw his  shot fumbled by goalkeeper Louis Gray. From the rebound, Matty Downing was alert to try and score but he was denied by an excellent block from defender Kevin Roberts.

The men in blue and white started to increase the tempo and were rewarded with the opening goal. Jackson had time to take a touch and deliver a teasing cross for Waring at the far post. The striker found the bottom corner from 12 yards.

After the break, the momentum remained with the home side. After seeing a cross from Downing go just over Knight’s head, the Blues went on the counter attack. Anthony Dudley turned onto his right foot before being fouled by Luke Lyons inside the box. Referee Darren Rogers blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Dudley got back to his feet and sent Avenue debutant goalkeeper Will Huffer the wrong way.

A number of substitutions saw the game lose its intensity but the home side looked comfortable with a two-goal lead and the Avenue struggling having already lost Jordan Windass and captain Luca Havern to injury to add to a growing list.

The Avenue introduced Tabish Hussain late in the second half and the winger made an impact on the right wing. But, unfortunately, his deliveries into the box were either cleared or unable to be converted by the Avenue strikers.

With only a couple of minutes left, a long ball towards Goodwin was headed back by Lyons, but it fell short of Huffer’s feet. The young Chester FC striker took the ball around the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into an unguarded net from 14 yards.

Into added time, Bradford scored a consolation as Hussain managed to squeeze a low cross into the penalty area and Knight was there to tap the ball past Gray from close range.

Chester FC: Gray, Roberts, Morgan, Weeks (Burke 79), Lacey, Grand, Jackson (Elliott 85), Clark, Goodwin, Waring (Marsh-Hughes 63), Dudley

Subs not used: Livesey, Glendon, Johnston, Bauress

Goals: Waring (21), Dudley (pen, 52), Goodwin (88)

Bradford (Park Avenue): Huffer, Ross, Boyes, L.Lyons, Havern (Hussain 60), Windass (Clee 45), Booty (J.Lyons 77), Hibbs, Dockerty, Knight, Downing

Sub not used: Atkinson

Goal: Knight (90)

The Brakes led at half-time, thanks to an early goal from Sam Osbourne and then, with additional time announced, Simeon Maye found the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Bradford reduced the lead with a Brad Dockerty goal, but, two minutes later, the away side restored their two-goal cushion with an excellent Osbourne strike from 20 yards

After a quiet opening period, the visitors broke the deadlock. As Avenue goalkeeper Dan Atkinson rushed out of his goal, Osbourne was calm and composed as he took the ball around him and slotted the ball into an unguarded net from 14 yards.

Osbourne, who continued to cause problems for the Bradford defence, nearly scored his second of the afternoon. After receiving the ball from Jack Edwards, the winger’s drilled shot was well blocked by left-back Harry Boyes inside the box.

Then, the hosts should’ve equalised from a corner. A deep, inswinging delivery from Nicky Clee found Jake Hibbs, but he couldn’t connect properly and scuffed his shot wide from close range.

With the additional time shown on the touchline, Paul Holleran’s side doubled their advantage. Another flick from Edwards, after hesitation in the Avenue defence found Maye, who was unmarked. The midfielder took a few touches and fired a right-footed effort past Atkinson from 12 yards.

After the break, and with the introduction of debutant Regan Booty, Bradford started to push men forward.

After a well-worked move involving Booty and Boyes, Knight curled over a right-footed effort from 20 yards. But it was more positive, drawing an applause from the Avenue dugout.

Then, they deservedly halved the deficit. Despite earlier missing a one-on-one chance, Knight spotted the run of Brad Dockerty through the centre of the pitch. With Weaver to beat, the winger calmly slotted the ball into the net to give the Avenue hope.

But that hope was quickly extinguished as the Brakes scored a wonderful third goal. A corner was cleared away and after excellent play from Lance Smith to turn and keep the ball in play, the striker found Osbourne. The winger sprinted towards goal and fired an unstoppable right-footed strike, from 20 yards, into the top corner.

The Brakes produced a stubborn defensive display to deny Bradford a way back into the game and the evening got worse for the hosts. With a minute left to play, Hibbs was aggressive in a challenge and referee John Mulligan rushed to his pocket for a red card and dismissed the midfielder to add to a miserable afternoon for Bradford.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Atkinson, Ross, Boyes, L.Lyons Havern, Windass (Hussain 77), Sanyang (Booty 45), Hibbs, Dockerty, Knight, Clee.

Subs not used: Downing, Huffer

Goal: Dockerty (69)

Red card: Hibbs

Leamington FC: Weaver, Martin, Morley, Clarke, Morrison, Lane, Osbourne (Meredith 85), Maye (Waldron 90), Smith, Edwards, Allen (Anderson 81)

Subs not used: English, Taylor 

Yellow card: Clarke

Goals: Osbourne (9), (71), Maye (45)

In a high-quality first-half, Bradford took an early lead thanks to Brad Dockerty. But the Coasters replied with two goals from Ben Tollitt and Kurt Willoughby. Against the run of play, the visitors equalised as Knight nodded home from close range. After the restart, the hosts took the lead for the second time as Luke Byrne’s cross was tapped home by Luke Conlan. But, into the second minute of additional time, Omar Sanyang picked out Jordan Windass and his cross was smashed into the far corner by Knight.

Despite an early surprise, as the sprinklers started spraying water in the middle of play, the visitors took an early lead. Dockerty cut inside onto his right foot and curled a lovely effort past Chris Neal from the edge of the box. The linesman raised his flag for offside but the referee gave the goal.

After the first goal, the Coasters dominated play with some excellent football and were rewarded with an equaliser.  Tollitt, who caused problems for his opponents all night, curled a right-footed effort past Atkinson from 20 yards.

Two minutes later, the hosts scored again. Striker Kurt Willoughby found space outside the box and fired a right-footed strike into the bottom corner past an outstretched Atkinson.

In the lead and extremely confident with the ball, Nick Chadwick’s side looked like a team who hadn’t lost at home this season. Working it from back to front, side to side, they oozed class. But Bradford stayed in the game, and against the run of play, levelled the score.

Harry Boyes, producing another mature display, received the ball on the left wing, and the left-back fizzed a cross into the box. Knight curved his run in front of defender Jack Sanders, and the striker glanced a header past Neal into the bottom corner.

The action didn’t stop there. 

After a muscular injury to Isaac Marriott, the Avenue continued to attack as Dockerty, who was in fine form all evening, intercepted a loose pass and threaded a through-ball to Knight. The striker managed to get ahead of defender Alex Whitmore, but his shot was saved at the near post by Neal.

The Coasters went down the other end of the pitch to create an opportunity. Right-back Byrne picked out striker Jordan Hulme in the penalty area, but the former Altrincham man headed the ball straight at Atkinson from ten yards.

Just before the half-time whistle, them Bradford nearly took the lead again. A deep cross was flicked by captain Luca Havern into the path of Boyes, and the left-back tried his luck from distance, but his effort was saved by Neal.

After the break, the Avenue were hanging on as the Coasters pushed men forward to take the advantage.

A corner from Luke Brennan was met by Sanders, and with his header flying towards the top corner, Dockerty jumped to head the ball off the line. 

Seconds later, the hosts created a three-on-two situation as Hulme pulled the ball back to Tollitt. The winger, rather than taking a touch, struck a first time effort over the bar from 20 yards.

Once more, Bradford were getting lucky to avoid conceding a fourth. Brennan’s corner picked out Whitmore and the captain’s header ricocheted off the post and a couple of bodies, somehow not finding the net.

Eventually, the pressure was too much for the Avenue as AFC Fylde regained the lead. Byrne and Brennan linked up well and the right-back got behind Dockerty to drill a low cross into the box. His teammate Conlan was there tap home from close range.

Just like Spennymoor, the away side nearly hit back with an instant reply. Dockerty showed character to bounce back from the goal and drove forward with the ball. As he got closer, the gap opened for the winger, but his shot didn’t have the accuracy to trouble Neal from 14 yards.

Following a number of substitutions, both teams still continued to search for a vital goal, for different reasons.

It didn’t appear Mark Bower’s side would get anything from the game, but the men from the Horsfall never gave up and snatched a dramatic equaliser. 

Substitute Sanyang hit one of the best passes of the game, switching the play from left to right. Windass controlled the excellent pass and showed his quality by delivering a wonderful cross to the far post. Knight was lurking at the far post and smashed the ball past Neal from eight yards, to the delight of the Avenue dugout.

AFC Fylde: Neal, Burke, Conlan, Nolan (Lussey 70), Whitmore (c), Tollitt, Philliskirk, Hulme (Sampson 88), Sanders, Willoughby, Brennan (Shaw 64)

Subs not used: Mondal, Ogle

Goals: Tollitt (13), Willoughby (15), Conlan (66)

Bradford (Park Avenue): Atkinson, Ross, Boyes, Marriott (Sanyang 39), Havern, Windass, Hibbs, Toulson (Ibrian 74), Clee, Knight (Lyons 90+3), Dockerty

Subs not used: Downing, Huffer

Goals: Dockerty (3), Knight (30)(90+2)

Yellow card: Clee

Referee: Dean Watson

Attendance: Behind-closed-doors