Macclesfield Town 1 Bradford City 1: James Vaughan rescues point for Bantams

The striker put a shocking first-half miss behind him to score with little more than 15 minutes to play and keep City seventh in League Two.

Troubled Macclesfield took a first-half lead through Jak McCourt’s penalty and looked like seeing out victory before Vaughan finally showed his class with a fine finish.

The opening goal came just after the half-hour mark.

Corey O’Keeffe charged into the Bradford box and was sent tumbling by Ben Richards-Everton. After referee Scott Oldham had pointed to the spot, McCourt sent former Silkmen keeper Richard O’Donnell the wrong way with the penalty.

Bradford should have been a goal up before that but the unmarked Vaughan somehow put his finish wide in a real howler from six yards.

In the second half it was the hosts who went closer to notching another with set-pieces seeing Fraser Horsfall and Fiacre Kelleher go close with headers.

But after Macclesfield failed to see off the visitors, Vaughan struck, glancing in Harry Pritchard’s wicked free-kick.

And though Bradford smelled blood late on with Connor Kirby dismissed for a second yellow card, they could not find a second goal and had to settle for a point.

The point leaves Bradford in seventh spot, three points adrift of third-placed Crewe.