Bradford (Park Avenue) claimed top spot in the Vanarama National League North despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Curzon Ashton.

The hosts were the first to try their luck, but Connor Hughes sent his long-range effort wide of the post.

They were then given a scare when Jamie Spencer threaded through to Jake Beesley, but the forward miscued his attempt to slide the ball into the path of Oli Johnson.

Supporters eventually saw a shot find the target when Curzon registered the first of the afternoon. Hughes wriggled away from Mark Ross and made an incisive dart into the box but fired into the midriff of Drench.

Bradford made an early substitution in the twelfth minute, introducing former Curzon winger Ben McKenna to the action in place of Johnson.

Lewis Knight received his first opportunity of the game when Conor Branson headed into his path, but his volley looped into the clutches of Nash stopper Cameron Mason.

The most clear-cut chances of the half both fell to Curzon frontman Niall Cummins, who failed to convert on two occasions.

He went one-on-one with Drench after latching on to a long punt but failed to find either side of the goalkeeper. A misdirected header from Nicky Clee then fell at his feet but he poked wide under pressure from a recovering Gianluca Havern.

Nicky Wroe found Beesley with a corner delivery, but the two sides headed into the break level after the forward directed his effort into a sea of bodies.

HALF-TIME: Curzon Ashton 0-0 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Bradford made a quick start to the second-half, carving Curzon open with two neat exchanges between Spencer and Knight.

McKenna then saw a shot blocked by Mason Fawns after being teed up by Beesley.

Wroe pulled the trigger from distance and came within a whisker of finding the top corner, seeing his effort narrowly rise over the woodwork.

The deadlock was eventually broken when Beesley connected with a free-kick delivery from Knight and directed a header past a helpless Mason.

Curzon, however, were back on level terms just four minutes later when Crankshaw latched on to Ryan Brooke’s pass and poked past Drench.

With the wind in their sails, the hosts began to pile bodies forward and Hughes was unlucky to see his strike from the left-hand side fly wide.

The affair became a cagey one as it progressed into its latter stages and neither side could find the spark required to unlock the opposition’s defence.

With three minutes remaining on the clock, chaos descended on the Tameside Stadium as all 22 players and staff came to blows. Bradford’s coaching staff and players alike were infuriated to see a foul on Spencer go unpunished and Curzon were incensed when the midfielder reacted by fouling Daniel Morton. Shane Killock, Spencer and Morton were all booked for their involvement in the fracas.

FULL-TIME: Curzon Ashton 1-1 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Curzon Ashton: Mason, Rowney, Fawns, Hunt (c), Morton, O’Leary, Crankshaw (Wall 90+5′), Ali, Cummins, Brooke, Hughes (Khoury 75′).

Unused substitutes: Merrill, Muir, Boyles.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Ross, Clee, Wroe (Hurst 69′), Killock (c), Havern, Spencer, Branson, Beesley, Johnson (McKenna 12’), Knight.

Unused substitutes: Toulson, Atkinson, Nowakowski.

Referee: Adam Herczog

A makeshift Bradford (Park Avenue) side suffered a heavy defeat to Brighouse Town in the second round of the West Riding County Cup.

Bradford’s starting eleven featured three scholars from the Horsfall College of Sport and four were named as substitutes.

It took just four minutes for Brighouse to take the lead, opening the scoring through Gabriel Johnson’s well-struck free-kick.

The lead was doubled shortly after when Marley Grant capped off a slick attacking move with a composed finish that left Jack Atkinson helpless.

Atkinson did, however, make a crucial save to deny Mohammed Ibrahim at point blank range after the forward connected with a cross from the right.

The Bradford stopper’s palms were then stung by Rhys Jenkinson, who struck low but was thwarted by the goalkeeper.

Bradford first opportunity of the evening fell to stand-in skipper Adam Nowakowski, who raced in to capitalise on a rebound when Matt Smith parried Ben McKenna’s strike. He managed to reach the ball ahead of a scrambling Smith, but the goalkeeper managed to beat away the effort.

The energetic hosts then added a third when Ibrahim fired into the bottom corner from the edge of the 18-yard box.

The third goal seemed to rally Bradford, who pulled one back just a minute after conceding. Danny Boshell delivered from the left and Nowakowski escaped his marker before steering a header past Smith.

Nowakowski almost netted his second mere minutes later but his curling shot failed to beat Smith.

Another opportunity then fell Nowakowski’s way when Chris Dawson found him with a defence-splitting pass, but the Bradford man lifted his effort into Smith’s clutches.

Alex Hurst found himself in a promising position after accelerating away from Sam Wright, but his shot from the left-hand side of the box was blocked by Kurt Harris.

Nowakowski remained a threat to the Brighouse backline and was unlucky to see his thunderous piledriver rattle the woodwork before bouncing on the line and being hacked clear.

HALF-TIME: Brighouse Town 3-1 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Brighouse had no intentions of simply defending their lead and continued to pile bodies forward after the break. Rhys Jenkinson surged forward down the right flank and pulled the trigger but blasted over the crossbar.

Town then added to their advantage when Jack Normanton latched on to Finn Donovan’s delivery and steered past Atkinson.

The confidence of the hosts was evident as they embarked on a hunt for a fifth goal immediately after scoring. Atkinson was forced to react quickly and palm away Harris’ flick before the ball was hacked clear by Joseph Ockerby.

Donovan lifted a cross in from the right and found substitute Ellis Nicholls, but his header found the wrong side of the post.

Bradford scholar Jordan Botwood was introduced in the second-half and drifted into space on the edge of the box but couldn’t find the target with his shot after being teed up by Lewis Knight.

Vill Powell’s side struck again with just two minutes remaining on the clock when James Hurtley headed into Ibrahim’s path, allowing him to fire past Atkinson from close-range.

FULL-TIME: Brighouse Town 5-1 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Brighouse Town: Smith, Jenkinson, Wright, Jones (Nicholls 45’), Harris, Hurtley, Grant (Donovan 60’), Heeley (c), Ibrahim, Johnson (Normanton 63’), Thomas.

Unused substitutes: Haigh, Robinson.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Atkinson, Toulson, Ridley, Rowntree, Holmes, Spencer (Knight 45’), McKenna (Botwood 60’), Boshell, Nowakowski (c), Dawson (Ockerby 66’), Hurst.

Unused substitutes: Garside, Mayfield.

Referee: Jamie Rhodes

Bradford (Park Avenue) swept ten-man York City aside at Bootham Crescent.

The opening ten minutes were cagey, and it was York that found their rhythm first. The visitors found themselves pinned in their own half and Shane Killock was forced to launch himself in front of a Jordan Burrow shot to keep the scores level.

Bradford, however, grew into the game and began asking questions of a disjointed York backline.

Jamie Spencer found Nicky Wroe with a perfectly executed lofted pass but the midfielder lifted his effort over the crossbar.

The Minstermen launched a swift counter-attack but Steven Drench was on-hand to palm Burrow’s flick away from danger at point blank range.

Drama then ensued at Bootham Crescent when York captain Joe Tait saw red. Jake Beesley fell to the ground inside the box after a tussle with Tait and after the defender received his marching orders, a penalty was awarded.

Beesley made no mistake from 12-yards, stepping up confidently and steering the ball past Adam Bartlett.

The lead was nearly doubled when Conor Branson connected with Lewis Knight’s free-kick delivery, but Bartlett held the header.

Branson then tried his luck with a long-range piledriver as the interval approached but his speculative effort sailed over the woodwork.

HALF-TIME: York City 0-1 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Bradford raced out of the blocks after the restart and it didn’t take long for the visitors to add to their advantage. Knight drilled a cross in from the right, enabling Beesley to volley into the roof of the net and pile misery on ten-man York.

Just three minutes later, Bradford netted a third when Spencer’s stunning long-range strike found the top corner in sensational fashion.

As York’s desire for a goal intensified, they piled bodies forward in desperate search of a way back into a game that seemed beyond them.

Adriano Moke pulled back to substitute Jon Parkin, but the robust forward’s shot was blocked by Killock.

The Minstermen eventually found a way through when Sean Newton curled into the top corner from a free-kick.

The hosts then went close through debutant Lewis Hawkins, who saw his thunderous effort tipped over the crossbar by the outstretched glove of Drench.

Bradford remained a threat despite their comfortable lead and Ben McKenna saw a shot blocked after firing into a sea of bodies.

McKenna then notched Bradford’s fourth, firing into the top corner after Knight accelerated away from Allan and squared to the substitute.

Alex Hurst looked set to add a fifth as the full-time whistle approached, but his shot was blocked by Allan after weaving his way past two defenders.

FULL-TIME: York City 1-4 Bradford (Park Avenue)

York City: Bartlett, Law, Newton, Allan, Tait (c), Griffiths (Langstaff 78’), Harris (Bencherif 27’), Moke, Burrow, Wright (Parkin 45’), Hawkins.

Unused substitutes: Ferguson, Dyer.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Ross, Clee, Wroe, Killock (c), Havern, Spencer (Hurst 84’), Branson, Beesley, Johnson (McKenna 51’), Knight (Nowakowski 83’).

Unused substitutes: Toulson, Atkinson.

Referee: Scott Simpson

Attendance: 2, 289 (198 Bradford supporters)

HT: 0-1