FC United crashed out of the President's Cup as the Rebels' defence leaked five goals on a rain-swept night in Nantwich.
Karl Marginson rested first-choice centre-backs David Chadwick and Rob Nugent ahead of Wednesday's league clash with Clitheroe, and the home side took advantage with four goals from set pieces.
Dabbers striker Adam Beasley opened the scoring and although Jerome Wright levelled, Beasley struck again before the break.
Paul Taylor, Phil Parkinson and Nick Farquarason all headed home in the second half.
FC UNITED chief Karl Marginson was left frustrated as the Rebels were held by 10-man Bamber Bridge.
Marginson's men dominated for long spells of a tense UniBond First Division North promotion battle.
Yet it was Brig who came closest to snatching an against-the-odds victory after they had been hit by Matt Mahoney's 59th-minute dismissal.
FC's best opportunity fell to Rory Patterson, but his superbly-struck free-kick was brilliantly saved by home keeper Terry McCormick.
"It was a useful point but under the circumstances, we'd have liked all three," Marginson said.
"We just didn't have enough about us to make the extra man count."
The Irongate stalemate keeps FC lurking dangerously in seventh place, while enabling Curzon Ashton to leapfrog Bamber Bridge into second.
FC UNITED manager Karl Marginson challenged his rampant Rebels to secure a third successive title after they'd knocked Skelmersdale off the top of UniBond first division north.
Two Rory Patterson goals followed by a late strike by sub Nick Robinson saw FC step up their championship assault with a resounding 3-0 triumph over the league leaders in front of a Gigg Lane crowd of 2,168.
That enabled Bamber Bridge to replace Skem at the summit with a 2-1 victory over fellow title hopefuls Bradford Park Avenue which means Marginson's men can now overtake all of the six teams ahead of them.