Bridlington Town secured a dramatic victory over Curzon Ashton to advance to the second round of the competition for the first time in 22 years. The match took place on the East Coast and featured a tense penalty shootout after the teams finished level in regular and added time.
The home side, competing in Step 4, opened the scoring within the first five minutes when captain Ahmed Salam converted a chance to put Bridlington ahead. Curzon Ashton, a Step 3 team, responded just before halftime with a late equalizer from Harvey Roberts. His long-range free-kick took an unexpected bounce and sailed over goalkeeper Alex Baird, leveling the score at 1-1 going into the break.
Shortly after the interval, Bridlington was reduced to ten players when Kyle Fanning received a red card. Despite being a man down, the Seasiders maintained their resolve as Curzon Ashton pushed for control. With five minutes remaining, Alex Curran appeared to have secured a likely victory for the visitors, scoring to make it 2-1.
However, Bridlington fought back in the dying moments of the match. Ahmed Salam converted a penalty deep into added time, restoring parity at 2-2 and forcing the contest into a shootout.
The penalty shootout proved just as tense. Curzon Ashton’s Alex Curran missed the opening spot-kick, giving Bridlington an early advantage. Curzon briefly leveled after goalkeeper Aidan Dowling saved an attempt from Toby Marriott, but Harvey Hayhurst then failed to convert for the visitors, placing Bridlington back in control. Salam ultimately scored the decisive penalty to secure the win and a coveted place in the next round.
Bridlington’s triumph was a significant upset, overcoming a higher-ranked Curzon Ashton side despite being a player short for much of the match. The victory marks a notable milestone for the Seasiders, ending a two-decade wait for progression beyond the first round in this competition.