County looked far from ready for competitive action as a stunning strike from Bradford's James Hanson in extra-time sent the Bantams through to the second round.
But Curle was quick to play down the disappointment of his side's exit, and with seven players making their debut he admitted it would take time for them to gel.
He said: "I can accept a great finish from their lad. With a cup competition you're always thinking if they get one chance they might take it and that's what happened.
"I'm well aware of the fact that we've brought in a lot of new players and it's going to take a bit of time for them to gel. There won't be a knee-jerk reaction. We do need one or two to bolster the squad so that we are happy with the squad we've got.
"Emmanuele Smith has gone straight to hospital for a scan on his knee. They were unable to assess it as he went into a bit of shock and his body went into spasm so the physio couldn't assess him on the pitch and so they were just trying to calm him down."
