King’s Lynn twice came from behind at the Horsfall Stadium to leave Avenue bottom of the league and winless in five matches.
An Adam Marriott brace followed by Sonny Carey’s 87th minute winner in a frantic second half saw King’s Lynn run out winners, despite Lewis Knight and Oli Johnson twice having Bradford in front.
The game was pushed back to an eventual 3.45pm kick-off time, following visitors King’s Lynn becoming stuck in traffic on their mammoth journey to Bradford.
And it was the away side who had the first sight at goal, Ryan Jarvis slipping as the ball dropped from the game’s first corner, before Jordan Richards fired wide from the edge of the box.
Bradford then went straight up the other end and created their first chance, Dan Sweeney’s low cross just couldn’t find Knight, before Mitch Lund saw his effort blocked away.
On 17 minutes though, Avenue went ahead as Knight took advantage of a mistake.
Rory McAuley gave the ball away on the half-way line, Avenue’s number seven intercepting his pass before racing past him and slotting confidently into the bottom corner with his left foot.
At the other end, Liam Hughes – playing in the centre of a back three – saw his blushes spared as he headed just wide of his own goal, attempting to cut out Marriott’s header across goal.
Joe Green was then called into action as Avenue were caught out by a short corner, Chris Henderson shooting low from the left, the home goalkeeper smuggling his effort away with a decent save.
Bradford were pressing well and forcing their opposition into mistakes, Sweeney finding himself with time and space on the edge of the box, though he could only strike wide with his left foot.
As the board went up to display one minute’s added time at the end of the first half, the visitors came close once more, as Marriott flashed a header just wide of the post with Green stranded.
Green did have a save to make just after the break, Michael Gash finding time and space at the back post, but his low effort was well kept out by the Bradford number one.
It was the dangerous Marriott who commenced the comeback just before the hour, as Avenue got caught out from a cross, Green failing to punch clear and the number 10 just about managing to force the ball home.
Knight then caused danger as his cross dropped over the head of the defender, before he was forced off, and it was his replacement Johnson who put Bradford back in front.
McAuley again was the cause of his side’s downfall, a short backpass allowing Johnson in, the returning attacker rounding the goalkeeper before slotting in his first goal since rejoining the club last week.
Avenue were almost caught out in incredible circumstances from the restart, with Mitch Lund receiving treatment, Mark Bower was orchestrating a reshuffle.
But as Lund hobbled off, the referee allowed the visitors to restart, allowing them to race clear on the far side, but the furious Bradford players just about got back to avert the danger.
Just over 10 minutes later, King’s Lynn equalised again through Marriott, the striker doing brilliantly in possession, spreading play wide to Sam Kelly who delivered an excellent cross which the forward planted into the top corner with a perfect header.
And with little over three minutes on the clock, the visitors snatched all three points.
Bradford failed to properly clear a corner, and with a number of players trying to get a foot on the ball, Carey emerged into a pocket of space and placed a finish low into the bottom corner.
There was time for one last Avenue chance, Sweeney picking up a loose ball and seeing goalkeeper Alex Street off his line, but his effort from 25 yards out slipped just past the post.
King’s Lynn did end the game on a sour note, however, as striker Michael Gash was sent off in injury time. After being shown a yellow card for timewasting in the fourth minute of stoppage time, he was then sent off in the sixth for leaving a high foot in in the corner.
With a number of injuries, Avenue will be thankful to not have a midweek game, and next up is the visit of Leamington on Saturday 9 November.
Bradford (Park Avenue): Green, Lund (A.Johnson 74), Priestley, Lowe (c), Hughes, Bazeley, Knight (O.Johnson 69), Royle, Sweeney, Marriott, Nowakowski
Subs not used: Dickinson, Rathbone
Goals: Knight (17), O.Johnson (71)
King’s Lynn Town: Street, Jones, Fox (Hawkins 81), Jarvis (Carey 58), Ward, McAuley, Clunan (c), Richards, Gash, Marriott, Henderson (Kelly 58)
Subs not used: Barrows, Payne
Goals: Marriott (58, 83), Carey (87)
Booked: Ward (61), McAuley (67), Gash (90+4)
Sent Off: Gash (90+6)
Referee: Dean Watson
Attendance: 416
