Western League Premier Division

Bradford Town 1 Slimbridge 1

ALTHOUGH this point moved Slimbridge up to third place, they were left to rue not putting this game away well before Bradford Town's late equaliser.

After a sixth minute Jamie Martin effort gave the Swans the lead, it took a deflected shot with four minutes left from Jamie Morris time to nick a point for the home side, with the visitors finishing the game with ten men after Jordan Turner's late dismissal.

The visitors made a good, high tempo start, and were rewarded with just six minutes on the clock. Adam Mace's pin-point diagonal ball set up Sean Lawson, and Martin was on hand to sweep home Lawson's dangerous cross.

Mace went close himself on 13 minutes when he forced a save from Bradford keeper Ed Baldy with a 25-yard free kick.

Bradford responded with their first decent chance of the game but Twain Plummer's effort was well beaten away by Dave Evans.

Ten minutes later, Plummer missed a chance from a couple of yards out, which should have seen the home side level things up.

Evans was again called upon on 39 minutes when Josh Bingham's free kick took a deflection off the defensive wall, and it required smart work from Evans to push the ball round the post for a corner.

Bradford thought they had equalised just before the break, but Craig Gingell was in an offside position and the referee ruled the goal out.

Slimbridge had the better chances of the early second period, but Lawson, and then Mace were unable to convert chances to increase the lead.

The Swans' best chance came on 59 minutes when Martin broke the Bradford offside trap, but his attempt to chip Baldy saw the Bradford keeper make a save to keep the ball out.

An increasingly bad tempered game was becoming very stop-start, with free kicks being awarded on a regular basis against both sides.

On 67 minutes, Evans again made an excellent stop from Dan Shanley's header, while at the other end Turner shot early when well placed and saw his effort go high over the Bradford bar.

With four minutes remaining, Bradford nicked the goal back – Morris' shot took a wicked deflection and looped over Evans to level things up.

As tempers continued to flare, Turner retaliated after an off-the-ball incident and saw red, leaving the visitors to play out the remainder of the game with ten men.

The Swans entertain Hallen in the GFA Trophy on Tuesday at Wisloe Road (7.30pm), before returning to league action the following Tuesday (7.30pm) when Brislington are the visitors.

Slimbridge: Evans, Turl, Ryan Thwaite, Richard Thwaite, Freeman (Brown 79), Ward, D. Turner, Parrot, Lawson, Martin (Hammond 62), Mace (J Turner 69)

Star man: Sam Turl.