TWO late strikes from Conner McKay and Martin Lenihan helped Bradford Town book their spot in the preliminary round of the FA Cup after Rob Mallett’s side defeated Roman Glass St George 5-2.

Town led Saturday’s opponents 3-2 with five minutes of regular time remaining before McKay and Lenihan netted to set up a tie against Paulton Rovers next Saturday.

The result was a pleasing one for Mallett, who had watched his troops slip to a two-goal home defeat against Bitton earlier in the week.

And translating their FA Cup form in league matches is important for the new Bradford boss, who admits his side were initially sluggish off the mark.

He said: “It was an excellent result for us.

“We’re pleased with how we’ve started in the league, despite our loss to Bitton.

“The FA Cup granted us with an ideal opportunity to bounce back.

“I wasn’t particularly pleased with the first half, we took an early lead but allowed them back into the game.

“It was a classic cup tie you could say, it went one way and then the other.

“We had more energy in the second half than they did, that allowed us to manage the game better.”

The win meant Bradford Town cashed in on the £2,250 prize money granted to teams that pass the opening round of the competition.

In addition to the financial boost, Mallett highlighted the importance of a cup run and the positive impact it has across the club.

“For all clubs at our level, every penny matters,” said Mallett.

“A cup run brings a good feeling around the club, we’ve made a good start but still need to fine tune a couple of things.

“Dan Price has signed as a centre half, he’ll be important to us.

“But at the same time, we don’t want to FA Cup to act as a distraction.

“The league is our bread and butter.

“It’s been nice to finally get the season started.

“The summer has been a busy one, and a team is never really sure where they stand until the season gets underway.”