Bradford (Park Avenue) crashed out of the FA Cup with a frustrating home defeat to Morpeth Town.

Riccardo Calder had equalised after Joe Walton opened the scoring, but new signing Dan Sweeney missed a crucial chance, with Sean Reid firing the visitors in front moments later.

Josh Heaton was sent off for two yellow cards just after the hour, and Reid fired his second from the resulting free-kick to sink Bradford. Walton added his second late on before Brad Dockerty – who twice struck the woodwork – added a consolation, his third goal in three games.

Avenue were afforded a great chance to open the scoring with less than five minutes on the clock, as the referee adjudged Morpeth to have played a backpass, but from the indirect free-kick Calder could only fire the ball over the bar.

And with their first foray into Bradford’s third, the visitors took the lead through Sean Reid.

Captain Wayne Phillips played in Liam Henderson, who controlled the ball and managed to hold off both Mitch Lund and Rhys Taylor, before finding Joe Walton who finished confidently into the bottom corner.

Calder was causing a lot of problems down the left, and he got on the end of a long ball, his near post effort well saved by Dan Lowson.

Moments later, Avenue struck the woodwork through the in-form Brad Dockerty. He picked up a pass from Marcus Wood and worked some space in the area, his low, left-footed strike cannoning off the foot of the post.

And finally all Avenue’s possession and pressure paid off as Calder levelled the scores on the end of a fantastic move.

Bradford advanced down the left and the full-back played a brilliant one-two with Sweeney before finishing brilliantly into the bottom corner with a powerful finish.

Sweeney should have doubled the advantage with Avenue on top, Alex Hurst doing brilliantly down the left before cutting back for the Solihull loanee, but he planted his first time finish wide of the post from just six yards out.

Just three minutes later, Bradford were made to pay as Morpeth regained the lead. Sean Taylor picked up a loose ball on the right and delivered a teasing cross to the back post which Reid powered into the net with his head.

Avenue had the first sniff of a second half which started much scrappier than the first, Lewis Knight latching on to Hurst’s ball over the top, but a good tackle from Chris Reid denied the shooting opportunity.

And from the resulting free kick, Reid brilliantly fired the ball into the top corner, giving Taylor absolutely no chance.

The goal and sending off killed off Avenue’s hopes of a comeback, with quality dropping as Marcus Law threw players on chasing a goal.

Dockerty struck the post for the second time with just over five minutes to play, getting in on the right with his shot across goal tipped onto the woodwork, before Ryan Cresswell completely fluffed the rebound.

The visitors then struck the frame of the goal themselves, as Taylor beat away Shabz Mohammed’s free kick, with Jack Foalle heading the loose ball onto the bar.

Walton added his second and his side’s fourth with two minutes to play, taking aim from range with his shot possibly taking a deflection which wrong-footed Taylor and saw the ball nestle in the bottom corner.

Pretty much straight from kick-off, Avenue pulled one back, Dockerty doing well on the left before angling a shot into the corner across the goal with his weaker foot, but it was a mere consolation.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Taylor, Bazeley, Calder, Wood (c, Holmes 67), Lund, Heaton, Knight (Cresswell 74), Marriott (Johnson 69), Sweeney, Hurst, Dockerty

Subs not used: Gibbons, Bennett, Moran

Goals: Calder (25), Dockerty (89)

Booked: Heaton (55), Lund (86), Hurst (90+1)

Sent off: Heaton (63)

Morpeth Town: Lowson, Forster, C.Reid (Mohammed 55), Phillips (c), J.Henderson, Turner, Taylor, Hodgson, L.Henderson (Foalle 72), S.Reid (McKeown 78), Walton

Subs not used: Harmison, Potter, Giles, Wilson

Goals: Walton (9, 88), S.Reid (35, 65)

Referee: Matt Scholes

Attendance: 217

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes

A late equaliser from Adam Boyes denied Bradford (Park Avenue) a second win of the season against Spennymoor Town.

Former Bradford striker Boyes netted in the fifth minute of second half stoppage time to cancel out Brad Dockerty’s opener – his second in two games.

Avenue were left to rue missed chances as Lewis Knight could have had a hat-trick, but visiting goalkeeper Matthew Gould was in fine form.

Josh Heaton was brought straight into a line-up which also included a returning Rhys Taylor and Dockerty, following his goal off the bench last time out at Boston.

Avenue started quickly, winning a corner within 13 seconds, but it was the visitors who had the first attempt at goal, Andrew Johnson cutting inside, but his curled effort flashed past the post.

Law’s side were picking up a lot of loose balls and sloppy moments from the Spennymoor midfield, and one of those allowed them to grab the opener.

Marcus Wood picked up a loose ball and drove forward, waiting for the perfect moment to draw the defender out and slip in Dockerty, who just about managed to squeeze his shot under Gould and into the back of the net.

New signing Heaton was making a clear difference at the back, and he was called upon to make a key block as Johnson latched onto a long throw, with the ball looking destined to ripple the back of the net.

Then it was Taylor, returning after sitting out two games with a calf injury, who needed to be at his best, doing brilliantly to tip over as James Roberts struck powerfully towards the top corner from a tight angle.

Spennymoor started to see more of the ball but couldn’t get through a stern Avenue formation, and it was actually the hosts who should have extended their lead just before the break.

The hosts got a corner cleared and Wood played a brilliant ball over the top to Lewis Knight. His touch was excellent to take him through one-on-one with Gould, but his low finish was weak and was denied by the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.

And Gould foiled Knight once more just after the interval. Avenue broke in numbers, led again by Wood, and he slipped in the winger whose powerful strike was acrobatically tipped over the bar by the visiting goalkeeper.

Knight was left disappointed though when he finally beat Gould, latching onto a brilliant Alex Hurst pass, and an excellent first touch saw him get past the goalkeeper, but he could only find the side netting with his finish from a tight angle.

Moments later the visitors came oh so close to drawing level, as Andrew Johnson met a corner with a thumping header which rattled the crossbar.

Taylor then had to be alert to tip away Johnson’s effort and the ball almost fell for Boyes, but it got stuck under his feet and Avenue scrambled it away.

The goalkeeper made a good double save denying Roberts and Johnson, before the pick of the bunch with 10 minutes left on the clock.

A shot had come in from Johnson and substitute Gavin Cogdon flicked it on from inside the six yard box, but Taylor reacted phenomenally to tip the ball over the bar.

Bradford were clinging on as Spennymoor had a huge number of late corners, Taylor tipping over from Nathan Buddle, and the sickening equaliser eventually came in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

A high ball in was headed down by Robert Ramshaw, and Boyes was unmarked six yards from goal, free to prod the ball past a helpless Taylor and rescue a point for the visitors.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Taylor, Bazeley, Calder, Wood (c), Lund, Heaton, Knight (Holmes 65), Marriott, Dockerty (Johnson 62), Hurst, Headley (Cresswell 73)

Subs not used: Gibbons, Bennett

Goal: Dockerty (11)

Booked: Bazeley (30), Johnson (83)

Spennymoor Town: Gould, Williams (Hibbs 50), Brogan, Chandler, Buddle, Curtis (c), McKenna, Ramshaw, Boyes, Roberts (Cogdon 76), Johnson

Subs not used: Mason, Atkinson, Webb

Goal: Boyes (90+5)

Referee: Andy Sykes

Attendance: 402

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes