IT was a bruising return to action for Bradford City Women on Sunday, as they were dumped out of the West Riding Women's County Cup after losing 3-0 to holders Brighouse Town.

While the Bantams men play their football four divisions higher than their Brighouse counterparts, in League Two and the Northern Premier League East Division respectively, the situation is completely different for their respective female outfits.

Brighouse's ladies play in the division above City, in the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division, and won the County Cup last season, beating Leeds United on penalties in the final.

Leeds and City play in the FAWNL Division One North, but while the former are eyeing up promotion, sat in sixth but with games in hand on those above, the latter are currently bottom and trying to avoid relegation.

That all meant the Bantams were clear second favourites going into Sunday's clash at Horsfall, and eventually, the gulf in class on the pitch told.

City came close early on though, with a free-kick that skidded just wide of Northern Ireland international Becky Flaherty's goal.

But a defensive error soon let Brighouse in, with only a superb low stop from City stopper Skye Kirkham keeping the Bantams level.

The visitors then got through on goal, only for them to shoot wide from a great position.

A free-kick from City flew just over the bar, before Kirkham got down well to smother an effort from long range.

It was goalless at the break, before Brighouse felt they should have had a penalty as one of their players went down following a corner.

The referee waved play on though, and it was another free-kick that saw City go close, with the effort being whipped just off target.

Kirkham was then beaten by a low ball across the face of goal, but the onrushing Brighouse attacker could not get a touch as she slid in.

Brig then curled a shot over the bar from the edge of the box before their pressure finally paid off, as they opened the scoring in fortunate circumstances.

Lauryn Wilcock was tackled on the edge of the box but the ball flew off her boot in the 50-50 challenge and flew over Kirkham into the net.

The Bantams came agonisingly close to equalising but had a header cleared off the line, before Brig fired over a great one-on-one chance.

Kirkham made a good save from a close-range header to keep City in the contest, but she was then beaten by a fine strike from the edge of the box from Lucy Sowerby, who was able to ride a few half-hearted tackles before getting her shot away.

The deflated Bantams soon conceded a third, when Sowerby was slipped in behind and swept the ball beyond Kirkham to wrap up the victory.

The visitors missed a sitter late on at the back post, but that was immaterial, as they advanced into the quarter-finals, where they will visit Altofts.