Bradford City 1 Notts County 1: Arm wrestle leaves both League Two promotion-chasing sides yearning for more

The Bantams went second in the table but could drop out of the automatic promotion places if results go against them on Good Friday. As their manager Graham Alexander said before the game, though, you would be foolish to try and second-guess any match right now.

The Magpies' play-off place is guaranteed for the weekend, but their margin for error remains slim.

Bradford could have won it in stoppage time, Rod McDonald producing an excellent piece of defending to stop Bobby Pointon getting on the end of a wonderful Michael Mellon cross, and a foul given when they bundled the resulting corner into the net.

But as it was, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw, frustrated by the brilliance of David McGoldrick.

Although both sides had moments of promise in the first 45 minutes, there was only one save, forced by Pointon.

But with the defence looking nervous against the power of Alassana Jatta and the guile of former Sheffield United Premier League striker McGoldrick, there was plenty to keep another big Valley Parade crowd on the edge of their seats. Doncaster manager Grant McCann and his assistant Cliff Byrne were in the stands too, no doubt nervous themselves as they watched two sides they are still to play in the run-in.

It took 13 minutes for a shot of note, Alex Pattison volleying over as a half-cleared corner dropped to him.

Brad Halliday raced onto a Pointon cross a couple of minutes later but could not get a decisive touch. Antoni Sarcevic, in the starting line-up for suspended captain Richie Smallwood, put his cross-shot into the side netting.

The Magpies took longer to get into the game but Bradford were fortunate an uncharacteristic Jack Shepherd miskick was not costly. Another scrappy piece of defending saw Jatta accelerate past Neil Byrne with ease, and ended with McGoldrick's shot going wide of Sam Walker's goal.

When George Abbott popped up in too much space as the ball came over from the left, Bradford were lucky his touch let him down.

But the hosts pulled back a bit of initiative, Pointon forcing Sam Slocombe into a good save low to his left. Calum Kavanagh flashed a shot wide shortly afterwards.

When County broke from a blocked Sarcevic cross they were grateful for some diligent defending by Tayo Adaramola, not for the first time.

Kavanagh was just unable to get a touch to a 37th-minute corner from almost on the goalline, and Sarcevic had a shot charged down by Nick Tsaroulla.

County's former Bradford players Matty Platt and Matt Palmer were booked for first-half fouls.

The visitors forced two saves quickly after the restart, but neither taxed Sam Walker. Jacob Bedeau made a good near-post run to Jodi Jones' corner but could not beat the goalkeeper from the angle, and McGoldrick's shot was comfortably gathered.

It was Bradford who took the lead.

Bedeau's very heavy-handed tackle on Kavanagh not only put his name in the referee's notebook but also gave Brandon Khela the chance to swing in a lovely free-kick, the highlight of an excellent performance from the Birmingham City loanee, stepping up impressively in the absence of Smallwood.

Kelly rose to it, to head his first league goal.

Kavanagh turned inside Platt and played a lovely ball to Pointon, but Sarcevic was tackled from the ball inside.

Watching from the stands as he serves a two-match ban, Alexander tried to bolt the door with his substitution, bringing on a fourth central defender, Aden Baldwin, to do Sarcevic's midfield job.

But trying to hold on is a dangerous game with a player of McGoldrick's quality in the opposition ranks.

After 70 minutes he glided inside Khela and curled a wonderful goal. He tried it a minute later from the opposite channel, but this time it was at Walker.

So Alexander changed tack, bringing on two attacking players in Jamie Walker and Mellon and pushing Baldwin back into his natural position.

Notts County coach Stuart Maynard shushed the 20,392 crowd but they did the opposite, giving their side a roar of huge encouragement.

The nerves were palpable, though, when Pattison was booked for hauling his man down but McGoldrick curled the 85th-minute free-kick over.

The last chance was a very good one, Mellon sending over a wonderful cross but McDonald beat Pointon to it and the points were shared.

Bradford City: Walker; Byrne, Shepherd (J Walker 79), Kelly (Huntington 90+1); Halliday, Pattison, Khela, Adaramola; Sarcevic (Baldwin 66), Pointon; Kavanagh (Mellon 79).

Unused substitutes: Wright, Hilton, Lapslie.

Notts County: Slocombe; Tsaroulla, Platt, Bedeau; Grant (Whitaker 66), Abbott, Palmer, McDonald; Jones (Jarvis 66); Jatta, McGoldrick.

Unused substitutes: Hinchy, Traore, , Edwards, Macari, Miller.

Referee: F Hallam (Surrey).