Bradford Park Avenue 0, FC Halifax Town 3

Evo-Stik Premier Division leaders FC Halifax Town put neighbours and rivals Bradford Park Avenue out of the League Cup tonight.

The first home game Avenue have played since mid- October ended in defeat after the first half finished goalless.

Both clubs used the third-round tie to get some of their fringe players much needed game-time but the line-ups were still strong.

Halifax looked the sharper side before the break and they secured their passage to the next round early in the second half with two goals in the space of four minutes.

Just eight minutes after the interval, Danny Holland broke the deadlock with a well-placed shot. Holland set up the next when his cross was steered home by the boot of Lee Gregory.

Midway though the second half, the contest was settled when Scott Phelan netted a direct free-kick after a foul by Avenue’s Rob O’Brien just outside the area.

The home side had a couple of late chances but the nearest they came to scoring was a Steve Burton shot that rattled the bar.