Notts County hold on to beat Bradford and end two-match losing run

Notts County survived a second-half comeback to beat Bradford 4-2 and get their League Two promotion drive back on track.

County produced a storming first-half display with David McGoldrick and Dan Crowley netting either side of Macaulay Langstaff’s brace, but a Richard Brindley own goal and Jamie Walker strike gave the hosts a nervy finish.

The deadlock was broken in the first five minutes when McGoldrick finished off a neat move down the right before Langstaff fortuitously doubled the hosts’ advantage after deflecting John Bostock’s goal-bound effort home.

He scored his second six minutes later after being slipped in by Crowley, who then made it 4-0 with a fine curling effort.

But the visitors came out fighting in the second half.

Alex Gilliead’s strike deflected off Brindley to reduce the deficit, before Walker fired beyond Sam Slocombe to set up a tense ending.

Langstaff almost completed his hat-trick late on, with visiting striker Andy Cook also seeing a header saved on the line, as County ended a two-match losing streak and kept Graham Alexander waiting for his first win as Bradford boss.