West Riding County FA Trophy third round: Bradford FC 4 Oxenhope Recreation Reserves 4 (Oxenhope won 4-1 on penalties)

OXENHOPE’S second string fought back from 3-0 down to secure their passage into the last 16 following a penalty shoot-out.

The visitors struggled to get to grips with Bradford Academy's top-class 4G pitch, and found themselves trailing by three goals after 25 minutes.

Oxenhope’s defence were too flat for the opening goal, giving the Bradford striker time and space to put his shot away.

Their second was a ball swung in from the left, with the flight being completely misjudged by the visitors' back line, allowing a simple tap-in at the far post, and the third was a swift counter-attack getting behind the defence.

Bradford were in full flow, but the one thing that Oxenhope have shown above all else this season is fighting spirit, and five minutes before the break they got a foothold in the tie.

Jason McGee latched onto a weighted pass and turned and shot from the edge of the box to find the target.

Just before the break, the visitors were awarded a penalty, which Joel Gallagher dispatched to put them right back in it.

After half-time, Oxenhope altered their formation to give them more attacking options and started strongly but were caught on the counter-attack when the Bradford striker got between two defenders and squeezed the ball past keeper Ricky Driver to make it 4-2.

Mark McGee then broke down the left and cut into the box, only for his curling shot to hit a post.

Young Keiran Henry then ran onto a through ball and was brought down, with McGee’s free-kick from 25 yards out again finding the woodwork.

As the tie entered the final ten minutes, Oxenhope got the breakthrough their efforts deserved.

Liam Fothergill found himself free on the right and his cross found Jason McGee, who hit a half-volley from the edge of the box.

The visitors threw everything into the game to find an equaliser, and it came in the dying minutes when the home side half-cleared their lines.

Captain Keann Shaw ran onto the ball and smashed it from distance into the roof of the net.

County Trophy games now have no extra-time or replays and go straight to penalties, and Oxenhope made no mistake with four perfect spot-kicks from Gallagher, Shaw and the McGee brothers that gave the Bradford keeper no chance and, backed up by two top-drawer saves from Driver, they went through 4-1.

This Saturday, the reserves travel to Brighouse Town Reserves in the league (2pm).