Bradford had their best weekend of the season so far with two classy performances.

On Saturday three National League points were a must if they were to go into the Christ-mas break on a high, and they got them by beating Hounslow and Ealing 3-1.

Three goals in the first half put Bradford in a strong position as they finally turned their dominance into goals.

The opening break came from an attack down the right, and Jill Atkins put a cross into the shooting circle which Sandeep Kaur controlled and fired past the keeper. The second goal followed within ten minutes when Nicola Woodhead, playing in a changed role in midfield, picked up a cross from the left at the top of the D and turned the defence to take an early strike which beat the keeper.

The third goal came just before half-time when Bradford were awarded a penalty corner.

Bradford played the straight strike option which captain Joanne Holroyd struck sweetly to beat the Hounslow and Ealing defence.

In the second half, Bradford never looked in danger of losing their grip on the game, but midway through a lapse in concentration allowed the opposition to take a consolation goal.

The following day, Bradford came so close to a shock in the fourth round of the English Hockey Cup.

Loughborough students, who play in the Premier League - a division above Bradford - snatched an equaliser two minutes before full-time, and then went through to the next round by scoring a golden goal in extra-time.

Bradford had three regular first XI players unavailable, but were involved in a classic cup tie.

Loughborough took the lead after a break with a shot from the top of the circle, but Bradford equalised with a penalty corner strike from Atkins which took a deflection on its way in.

In the second half, a devastating penalty corner strike from Holroyd made it 2-1 to Bradford, but Loughborough were then awarded a hotly-disputed penalty strike after a goalmouth scramble, which they converted for the equaliser.

With ten minutes to go Bradford released striker Kate White, who took on the defence, rode two stick tackles on the way to goal. However, the third stick tackle in the circle resulted in a penalty stroke which Woodhead converted.

But with two minutes to go Loughborough broke down the right and clinical striking from the top of the D found the only space to take the tie into extra-time.

Five minutes into extra-time Loughborough found the Bradford defence stretched, and with the keeper drawn and committed Loughborough's flick shot on goal was only kept out by a player handling the ball and the penalty stroke gave them the tie on the golden goal. Young Hannah Linforth was the star player for Bradford.