Bradford Park Avenue’s league season may have surpassed expectations but the highlight of the last campaign was their FA Cup first-round tie at Doncaster Rovers.

Bradford’s part-timers were able to test themselves against the npower League One high-fliers at the beginning of November.

They returned from the Keepmoat Stadium with their heads high and pride intact, while the South Yorkshire club went on to lift the title and promotion to the Championship.

It was one of the plum ties of the round, and nothing more than John Deacey’s Bradford battlers deserved after a bitter experience in the previous season.

For the vast majority of semi-pro clubs, reaching the first round of the FA Cup is their one chance of national coverage and is usually a financial bonus.

However, when Bradford reached the first-round proper in 2011-12, they were drawn at AFC Totton - a club on the same step of the pyramid as themselves.

It actually cost Avenue money to fulfil the tie and it was a disaster on the pitch as they had two men sent off and ended up losing 8-1!

The disappointment and embarrassment of that day were but distant memories when Bradford headed to the Keepmoat to take on Dean Saunders’ Doncaster Rovers.

Deacey’s men were soon 2-0 down but a superb reply from Richard Marshall halved the deficit and the Football League outfit endured some nervous moments before a third goal from Craig Brown sealed the win.

Former Bantams striker Saunders was not merely paying lip service when he paid compliments to his opposite number and the Avenue squad.

The cup tie strengthened the mutual respect between Deacey and Sanders.

The clubs had already met in a pre-season friendly at Horsfall Stadium, Avenue had taken one of Donny’s young players on a short-term loan and Saunders was keeping tabs on Deacey’s son Jordan.

It was a very positive day for the club, and not only did it swell their coffers but two of Avenue’s nominated charities also ended up with a windfall.

The Marie Curie Bradford Hospice and Joint Activities and Motor Education Service (James) were each handed £1,000 cheques by Avenue’s chief executive officer Bob Blackburn and chairman John Dean.

The handover took place in a pre-match ceremony at a home league game later in the season - the clash with Droylsden mid way through last month.

As a Conference North club - they had been promoted the previous season - Avenue were exempt from the extra-preliminary round, the preliminary round and the first qualifying round of last season’s FA Cup.

But they had won three ties to reach the televised first-round draw, so their day in the spotlight was hard earned.

It was in contrast to the other cup competitions as Bradford were knocked out of the West Riding County Cup at the second-round stage, beaten 4-1 at holders Guiseley after being handed a bye in the first round, and slipped ingloriously out of the FA Trophy.

They went down 3-1 at Stafford Rangers - a club from a lower rung on the non-league ladder - just a week after losing at Doncaster Rovers by the same scoreline.