Bradford (Park Avenue) were condemned to their third consecutive defeat after an old rivalry was renewed against F.C United of Manchester.

The first opportunity of the game fell to the visitors, who almost capitalised on what could have been a costly error from Ben McKenna. The midfielder gifted possession away to Stephen O’Halloran on the edge of the box, who unleashed a thunderous strike that whistled past the post.

Five minutes later, Elliott Simoes squandered a golden opportunity himself, skewing wide after being teed up by Joshua Wallen.
The Reds continued to knock on the door and Wallen had an opportunity himself after providing one for Simoes. The ball fell kindly for the midfielder on the edge of the box, but his low drive found the wrong side of the post.

After a brief spell camped inside their own half, Bradford began to demonstrate the threat they possess going forward. Lewis Knight drifted into space on the right-hand side of the box and left the woodwork shaking with a well-struck effort.
The difficult conditions stifled the frontlines of the two sides as the strikers were given little in the way of service. Through balls and crosses hung in the air or stuck in the mud of the pitch.

When the hosts did advance into the opposition’s box, they failed to keep their composure and Conor Branson lifted over the crossbar from the left-hand side of the box after Lloyd Allinson held Jake Beesley’s header.

A player renowned for the clinical nature of his finishing, Oli Johnson, did eventually break the deadlock with a low strike that rolled through a sea of bodies and nestled in the bottom corner.

However, former Bradford forward Chris Sharp etched his name on the scoresheet to put F.C United back on level terms. On the stroke of half-time, he cut in from the left and rifled into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-1 F.C United of Manchester

Kurt Willoughby called Drench into action immediately after the restart, drawing a save with a low drive on the turn.

Drench’s opposite number, Allinson, then had to be alert to deny Branson with a fantastic save.

The Reds’ goalkeeper then breathed a sigh of relief when Knight’s swerving effort found the wrong side of the post.

Two goals in quick succession put F.C United ahead shortly after the hour mark. Jack Banister found the top corner in sensational fashion, just two minutes before Willoughby fired into the bottom corner after a mazy run down the left flank.

The visitors weren’t allowed to cruise until the final whistle as Bradford piled pressure on the leaders. They were eventually rewarded for their pressure when Knight found the top corner with a stunning free-kick, ensuring that the late stages would be nervy for Neil Reynolds’ side.

Ryan Toulson delivered for Beesley as the final whistled approached, but the forward fired high and wide under pressure from Zehn Mohammed.

Substitute Adam Nowakowski came close in the first minute of stoppage time, but his powerful strike was beaten away by Allinson.
A late corner was only cleared as far as Nicky Wroe on the edge of the box and the midfielder was visibly frustrated when his deflected effort struck the crossbar.

FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 2-3 F.C United of Manchester

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Toulson (Nowakowski 71’), Lowe, Wroe, Killock (c), Ross, Knight, Branson, Beesley, Johnson, McKenna (Hurst 69’).
Unused substitutes: Atkinson, Dawson.

F.C United of Manchester: Allinson, Morton, O’Halloran, Mohammed, Sass-Dabies, Wallen, Simoes (Potts 83’), Winter (c), Willoughby, Sharp (Crawford 90+5’), Banister (Brierley 90+2’).
Unused substitutes: Senior, Palinkas.

Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Attendance: 713

A clinical Stockport County reduced the gap between themselves and second-placed Bradford (Park Avenue) in the table to a solitary point with a convincing 3-0 victory at Edgeley Park.

The hosts made a dream start, firing themselves into the lead after just five minutes. Matty Warburton found space on the edge of the box before unleashing a left-footed strike that found the bottom corner.

Bursting with confidence, the Hatters showed no reluctance to pile bodies forward and threatened to double their lead on numerous occasions in the early stages.

Jack Atkinson had to be alert to prevent Warburton notching his second, diving to hold on to a powerful drive from the Stockport forward.

The young stopper was then relieved to see Darren Stephenson’s speculative strike find the wrong side of the woodwork after the winger skipped past Ryan Toulson.

Former Bradford loanee Frank Mulhern also came close to etching his name on the scoresheet, diving to meet Scott Duxbury’s delivery but heading wide.

The visitors began to recover from the early blow as the half progressed and carved open some opportunites of their own.

Nicky Clee’s drilled effort flew past the post after the midfielder was teed up by Oli Johnson and Conor Branson saw a glancing header held on to by Ben Hinchliffe.

The hosts, however, continued to threaten and Adam Thomas was unlucky to see his close-range header palmed away from danger in impressive fashion by Atkinson.

In a frantic end to the first-half, both sides went for the jugular. Hinchliffe pushed Nicky Wroe’s effort wide after Jake Beesley’s shot was blocked by Ashley Palmer.

Stockport winger Adam Thomas then tucked the ball away in the bottom corner, but the goal was ruled out when the linesman penalised Mulhern for straying offside.

Former Hatters defender Mark Ross came close to netting against his former employers in the late stages, seeing his powerful header plucked out of the bottom corner by Hinchliffe.

HALF-TIME: Stockport County 1-0 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Atkinson was thrust into action immediately after the restart, being forced to make impressive stops to deny Warburton and Stephenson in quick succession.

The resulting corner was delivered by Duxbury and found Palmer, who headed wide after escaping his marker.

Bradford found themselves camped in their own half but launched a swift counter-attack when Lewis Knight burst down the right flank. Stephenson, however, managed to shepherd the forward wide, forcing his shot to come from a tight angle and making the save a routine one for Hinchliffe.

The hosts eventually doubled their lead when Stephenson’s low shot from just inside the 18-yard box nestled in the bottom corner, despite Atkinson getting a fingertip to the ball.

Six minutes later, the Hatters added to their advantage in bizarre circumstances. Mulhern emerged from behind Atkinson as he prepared to punt forward, stole possession and tucked away in a vacated net.

The lead was almost further extended almost immediately after the third goal when Warburton’s long-range strike left the crossbar shaking.

The visitors failed to mount a comeback as Stockport retained their control of what evolved into a one-sided affair.

Jim Gannon’s side even enjoyed more opportunites in the late stages and Nicky Wroe had to lunge to block Sam Minihan’s powerful drive.

Wroe did catch a glimpse of goal himself in stoppage time but his speculative strike lacked the power required to trouble Hinchliffe, who held.

With the full-time whistle set to blow, Dimaio’s swerving effort whistled past the post, to the relief of a diving Atkinson.

FULL-TIME: Stockport County 3-0 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Stockport County: Hinchliffe, Minihan, Duxbury, Keane, Palmer, Stott, Thomas, Turnbull (c) (Osborne 71’), Mulhern (Bell 79’), Warburton (Dimaio 81’) Stephenson.
Unused substitutes: Cowan, Ormson.
Bradford (Park Avenue): Atkinson, Toulson, Lowe, Hurst (Nowakowski 64’), Killock (c), Ross, Knight, Branson, Beesley, Johnson (McKenna 45’), Clee (Wroe 30’).
Unused substitutes: Drench, Spencer.
Referee: John Matthews
Attendance: 4,105 (136 away)

Bradford (Park Avenue) were condemned to their first league defeat since October 2018 by Guiseley, in a Yorkshire derby somewhat marred by controversy.

In contrasting fashion to the Boxing Day encounter, Guiseley carved open more opportunities than Bradford did in the early stages.

An in-swinging delivery from Alex Purver caused chaos in the box and Will Thornton and Kingsley James both saw efforts blocked in the midst of a goalmouth scramble.

Thornton came close again moments later, sending a glancing header agonisingly wide of the post after Andrew Halls delivered from the right.

Bradford, however, grew into the game and began to cause problems of their own as the half progressed.
Jake Beesley nodded into the path of Oli Johnson, who drew a save from Marcus Dewhurst with a low drive.
The visitors were then given another scare when Lewis Knight’s cross struck the crossbar before dropping behind for a goal-kick.

Guiseley remained in contention despite an increase in the frequency of Bradford’s attacks and another goalmouth scramble ensued on the half-hour mark. Several players saw shots blocked before Oli Johnson managed to blast clear.

Lions stopper Dewhurst was forced to pull off a magnificent save to deny Beesley, tipping his flicked header over the woodwork after the striker met Nicky Clee’s long-throw.

Minutes after his throw teed up Beesley, Clee found himself furiously appealing for a penalty after being bundled to the ground by Kingsley James. Despite the protests from an incensed group of Bradford players, the referee deemed the incident to have taken place outside of the box.

The deadlock was broken by Guiseley on the stroke of half-time when Kayode Odejayi met Alex Purver’s free-kick delivery and nodded beyond the outstretched glove of Drench.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-1 Guiseley

Dewhurst was called into action early in the first-half, being forced to deny Beesley with his left leg after the forward burst into the box and struck low.

The pinpoint accuracy of Purver’s crosses continued to cause Bradford problems in the second-half and he found Rowan Liburd with a particularly impressive one. The forward leapt above his marker to meet the delivery but directed his header wide.

Former Nethermoor favourite Johnson drew level with 25 minutes remaining on the clock, steering home from close-range after the ball fell kindly to him inside the box.

However, celebrations were short-lived as Guiseley’s advantage was restored just five minutes later. Liburd advanced before flicking beyond Drench and into the bottom corner.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Bradford substitute Jamie Spencer was shown a second yellow card following a scuffle with Niall Heaton. To the fury of the home supporters, the Lions defender didn’t receive his marching orders for his involvement in the fracas.

The ten-man hosts failed to trouble the visitors in the late stages, miscuing crosses and shots whilst struggling to find any sort of rhythm.

Guiseley’s lead was almost added to on the stroke of full-time, but Mark Ross denied Liburd with an excellent block in the 6-yard box.

FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1-2 Guiseley

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench, Toulson (Nowakowski 80’), Lowe, Hurst (Spencer 50’), Ross, Havern, Knight, Branson, Beesley, Johnson (c) (McKenna 82’), Clee.

Unused substitutes: Wroe, Killock.

Guiseley: Dewhurst, Moyo, Heaton, Purver, Thornton, Halls (c), Odejayi, James, Liburd, Hatfield, Smith (Felix 85’).

Unused substitutes: Green, Walsh, Walters, Clayton.

Referee: Paul Brown

Attendance: 665