Bradford slipped to second in League One after they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Reading.
Beesley nodded the Bantams into a fourth-minute lead from Bobby Pointon’s cross at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Udoka Godwin-Malife eventually rescued the Royals a draw after he smashed in a 66th-minute equaliser from Jacob Brown’s deflective touch of a long throw into the box.
Bradford consequently slipped to second on goal difference after Plymouth Argyle beat Leyton Orient 2-0 in East London to move onto the summit of the third tier.
Reading meanwhile climbed to seventh in the table.
Without Graham Alexander in charge following his departure to Preston, Bradford rode their luck in the opening three minutes as Reading’s Lewis Wing saw a shot blocked before Kyreece Lisbie found the side-netting with his strike.
Reading’s attacking pressure however left them vulnerable to a rapid breakaway attack as the ball was crossed over to the left, with Pointon able to pick up a forward pass which he crossed into the box for Beesley to nod into the far-right top corner for his first goal as a Bantam.
The game subsequently became edgy and end to end as Cameron Dawson saved a 22nd-minute curled attempt from Wing, before Bradford’s Antoni Sarcevic rifled over from Adam Phillips’ lay-off touch of Kayden Jackson’s cross three minutes later.
Bradford almost doubled their lead in the 26th minute after Beesley swept a cross from Phillips into the far-bottom right corner, but the forward’s goal was disallowed due to having been offside when the cross came in.
Paddy Lane and Jacob Brown wasted headed chances to level as the former’s effort was saved by Dawson whilst Brown put his attempt wide, whilst Josh Stokes’ 36th-minute shot was blocked as the Royals unsuccessfully attempted to restore parity before half time.
Reading continued to maintain their pressure on Bradford’s defence as Paudie O’Connor nodded wide from a 52nd-minute corner.
Bradford though continued to trouble Reading on the quick breakaways attack and Pointon forced a 65th-minute save from Joel Pereira with a low shot.
Reading however found their equaliser just a minute later after a long throw into the box was deflected away by Brown, only as far as Godwin-Malife who smashed his shot into the net to restore parity.
Pereira however kept the score level in the 69th minute after he parried Jackson’s tightly-angled strike away from the far left corner.
Reading eventually grinded out a draw which saw Bradford fall off the summit to second.
What’s Next?
Reading face a tricky trip to MK Dons on Saturday 10 October at 3pm BST at Stadium MK.
Bradford too will be in action at the same time on the above date as the Bantams host Leyton Orient at Valley Parade.
Teams
Reading: Joel Pereira, Udoka Godwin-Malife, Paudie O’Connor, Benn Ward, Haydon Roberts (Williams 59′), Lewis Wing, Andy Rinomhota (Fraser 59′), Kyreece Lisbie (Kyerewaa 84′), Josh Stokes, Paddy Lane, Jacob Brown (Reid 67′)
Substitutes: Ashqar Ahmed, Liam Fraser, Daniel Kyerewaa, Conor Masterson, Jamie Reid, Jack Stevens, Randell Williams
Bradford: Cameron Dawson, Matthew Pennington, Aden Baldwin, George Pratt, Kayden Jackson, Antoni Sarcevic, Callum Connolly, Ibou Touray (O’Keeffe 92′), Adam Phillips (Lapslie 67′), Bobby Pointon (Swan 77′), Jake Beesley (Powell 67′)
Substitutes: Colin Doyle, Macaulay Gillesphey, Kieran Morgan, Will Swan, Nick Powell, Corey O’Keeffe, George Lapslie
Referee – Paul Howard
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