Bradford (Park Avenue) fell to a third successive defeat despite significant improvement away at in-form Boston.

Marcus Law’s men were the better side for much of the afternoon, defending admirably and creating the best chances, but two goals in two second half minutes led to an unfortunate defeat.

Brad Abbott and Jordan Thewlis capitalised to hand Boston their third win in four, substitute Brad Dockerty giving Avenue hope by pulling one back with six minutes to play, but the visitors just couldn’t find another goal to come away with what would have been a deserved point.

Bradford had the first opening of the match as they attempted to use the breakaway against their hosts, Isaac Marriott finding Alex Hurst who drove forward, but saw his shot from range comfortably saved by Peter Crook.

Avenue then had to throw one or two bodies on the line as the ball dropped following a Boston free-kick, but managed to break once more to create a hairy moment for the hosts.

The same pair combined and Hurst’s good run ended with his powerful cross just too far ahead of Lewis Knight.

Law’s men were struggling once more with discipline, Riccardo Calder booked early on before a poor Nelson Digbeu foul nearly cost them.

The referee was ready to give Avenue’s French defender a talking to, but the home side took the free-kick quickly and Brad Abbott sent a shot crashing wide of the near post.

Avenue were dealt a blow as Knight was forced off injured on the half-hour, but they should have gone ahead moments later on the end of a great move.

Calder, who had moved forward in the formation following Knight’s departure, drove into the box and cut back for Richard Cresswell, but the defender playing in attack skewed his shot when he should have scored.

The unusual number nine then had another chance after more good play between Hurst and Marriott saw the Huddersfield loanee get a good cross in which Cresswell met on the volley, but it deflected just wide of the near post.

Boston were being kept at bay by a sturdy Avenue defence, and the free-scoring side showed their frustration late in the first half, Tom Platt and Ainge firing high and wide from range.

The visitors continued to defend admirably into the second period, Ainge firing high and wide once more, but after a double substitution led to a dangerous spell, Boston took the lead.

Bradford had cleared three crosses in succession, but a high ball came in from Karl Byrne which Dominic Knowles headed down and Abbott arrived to finish into the bottom corner.

And moments later is was two as Avenue heads went down, Thewlis, one of those substitutes, picked up a loose ball and skipped past a challenge before finding Jack Bennett’s bottom corner.

Ainge had a real chance to seal the match, as he was allowed a free header from a corner, but he planted it firmly wide of the target.

With six minutes to play, Avenue brought themselves back into it.

Calder played an excellent deceptive ball over the top which was chased by Dockerty and fellow substitute Myron Gibbons, with the former left to simply touch the ball past Peter Crook and roll it into an empty net.

The goal caused a late rally from Avenue and Boston looked nervous, the hosts having to defend for their lives as Gibbons touched down for Hurst, but his shot couldn’t get through the crowd.

Bradford’s best chance late on came through the exceptional Calder, who took down a pass with a brilliant touch, working space for a shot which he fired just wide of the top corner from 20 yards.

In the end it wasn’t to be, but there were plenty of positives for Law’s men following a handful of disappointing performances.

Boston United: Crook, Byrne, Whittle, Thanoj (Adebayo-Smith 56), Ainge, Shiels (c), Platt, Abbott, Knowles (Green 69), Walker (Thewlis 56), Rollins

Subs not used: Willis, Jackson

Goals: Abbott (64), Thewlis (66)

Booked: Thanoj (53)

Bradford (Park Avenue): Bennett, Bazeley, Calder, Wood (c), Lund, Digbeu, Knight (Headley 31), Marriott, Cresswell (Gibbons 82), Hurst, Holmes (Dockerty 61)

Subs not used: None

Goal: Dockerty (84)

Booked: Calder (19), Cresswell (77), Marriott (78)

Referee: Scott Simpson

Attendance: 1,110 (47 visitors)

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes

Bradford (Park Avenue) fell to a second successive home defeat at the hands of near neighbours Farsley Celtic.

Full-back Thomas Allan opened the scoring before both sides struck the woodwork in a frantic second half.

However late in the game, Jack Bennett allowed a Jordan Richards shot to trickle through his legs, with Ben Atkinson adding a third deep into added time with a thumping effort.

It was a miserable defeat for Marcus Law’s men, who had shown much promise in recent matches.

The away side actually had the ball in the back of the net with just five minutes on the clock, but Farsley captain Danny Ellis was adjudged to have fouled his man as he climbed to win the header.

Celtic were enjoying a lot of space out wide, and fashioned the next opening as Luke Parkin cut inside but dragged his effort past the post from 20 yards.

Moments later, Bradford had the best chance of the first period, after a brilliant move.

Isiah Bazeley and Lewis Knight combined excellently down the right before the on-loan Aston Villa man pulled the ball back, only for Knight’s finish to just fade away from the top corner and fly wide.

Farsley had a few questionable shouts for a penalty and Riccardo Calder hit a tame effort into Kyle Trennery’s arms as a tight first half ended goalless.

The second period continued in a particularly fast paced manner, and Farsley fired Avenue a warning moments before taking the lead.

Left-back Allan delivered a brilliant cross and James Spencer struck the near post with his effort.

Avenue scrambled the ball away for a corner but weren’t awake to a short move, Tyler Walton delivering a great inswinging cross which Allan rose to flick into the bottom corner.

Alex Hurst then worried Trennery with a low drive before Bradford stopper Bennett was down sharply to deny Spencer after the home defence failed to clear a throw-in.

Avenue conceded a cheap free kick on the edge of the box seconds later, and were almost made to pay as Parkin’s thunderous strike rattled the post with Bennett rooted to the spot.

Less than five minutes later is was the hosts’ turn to strike the woodwork as Marcus Wood’s weaving run through midfield ended on the edge of the box, his low left-footed effort cannoning off the foot of the upright.

Both sides chased the all-important second goal, but it was Farsley who got it with four minutes to play in the cheapest fashion.

Substitute Nathan Cartman played a brilliant through-ball for Richards, who took on the shot first time and his effort straight at Bennett slipped through the goalkeepers grasp and trickled over the line.

And the visitors added a third in stoppage time to add some deserved gloss to the final score. Cartman brilliantly dummied Spencer’s cut-back and Atkinson arrived to thump the ball into the top corner from just outside the box.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Bennett, Lund (c), Calder, Wood, Digbeu, Bazeley, Knight, Marriott (Holmes 67), Cresswell, Hurst, Headley (Dockerty 58)

Subs not used: Gibbons, Laird, Moran

Booked: Headley (16), Digbeu (42)

Farsley Celtic: Trennery, Richards, Allan, Walton (Maltby 90), Ellis (c), Clayton, B.Atkinson, C.Atkinson, Spencer, Parkin (Cartman 79), Syers (Baldwin 67)

Subs not used: Wynne, Hayhurst

Goals: Allan (50), Richards (86), B.Atkinson (90+4)

Booked: Ellis (57)

Referee: Aaron Bannister

Attendance: 508

Words: Joe Cockburn
Image: John Rhodes

Bradford (Park Avenue) claimed their first win of the season with a hard-fought victory at Darlington.

A first goal in senior football for Jaheim Headley was enough for Bradford to claim victory in a brilliantly battled backs-to-the-wall win in which Darlington hit the post three times – including with a penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Goalkeeper Rhys Taylor made a string of fine saves as Bradford claimed their first win of the season, with a second clean sheet in a row.

There were two new faces in the Bradford lineup with Headley starting for Marcus Law’s side, while Brad Dockerty also came into the starting 11.

The game started at a fast pace despite the sweltering heat, Lewis Knight played in behind twice but to no avail, before Stephen Thompson’s header down couldn’t find a teammate at the other end.

Thompson had the game’s first real chance of the game, as his header from a corner dropped just onto the roof of the net with Taylor stranded.

Avenue struggled to properly find any rhythm early on as Mitch Lund was forced off in the second minute with a facial injury, before the referee waved him off again not long after returning, both times refusing to allow him back into the action while the play was ongoing.

The visitors did have a sniff just after Lund was forced to receive treatment for a second time, as Knight’s long throw dropped in the area but neither Jon Moran or central defensive partner Nelson Digbeu could get there.

Dockerty then saw some joy on the right for Bradford, twice getting to the by-line but both times just struggling to find a man with his low cut-backs.

The hosts then had another chance, once more created by Thompson, whose chest down was volleyed well over by Adam Campbell.

Avenue came forward again though and came their closest through Digbeu, who headed Knight’s throw-in towards the bottom corner, only for Chris Elliott to be equal to it with a very good save.

His opposite number, Bradford captain Taylor, then had work to do himself, closing down Will Hadfield’s burst into the area, before he reacted brilliantly to save from Justin Donawa after he found himself in behind and bearing down on goal.

The second half started in a similarly even fashion, with Hadfield’s volley well blocked by Moran in the only chance before Avenue took the lead.

A long ball was well held up by Avenue substitute Joseph Chidyausiku and Isaac Marriott play a brilliant ball through to Headley, who took it in his stride before prodding past Elliott and into the bottom corner.

Moments later, Taylor had to be at his absolute best as a Darlington corner was headed onto the inside of the post and the Bradford goalkeeper acrobatically beat the effort away from goal.

Darlington continued to build pressure but with little in the way of goalmouth action until the 82nd minute, when a long ball found Campbell but his powerful effort was well kept out by the legs of Taylor.

Bradford managed to get themselves up the other end of the pitch, but Hurst’s cross was volleyed over by an offside Myron Gibbons.

As a board signalling six minutes of added time went up, Taylor did well to beat away Rivers’ cross before Hadfield’s effort was charged down by Hurst.

Campbell saw a shot deflected just wide before his 20-yard strike flew past Taylor but thumped back out off the upright.

The goalkeeper then did brilliantly to react and get down as Louis Laing got a prodded effort towards goal which looked to have wrong-footed Taylor.

But then as the clock ticked towards full time, the referee pointed to the spot as a cross dropped and a Darlington man looked to be crowded out, though the decision looked soft.

Up stepped Thompson, but his low effort towards the bottom corner went wide off the outside of the post – with a possible touch from Taylor on its way.

The full time whistle was finally blown to give Avenue their first win of the season in dramatic circumstances after a brilliant team performance which deserves a lot of credit.

Darlington: Elliott, Atkinson, Watson, Bascome (Holness 71), Laing, Galbraith (c, Heaton 32), Rivers, Hatfield, Campbell, Thompson, Donawa (O’Neill 59)

Subs not used: Bell, Wheatley

Booked: Hadfield (70)

Bradford (Park Avenue): Taylor (c), Lund (Chidyausiku 46), Calder, Wood, Moran, Digbeu, Dockerty (Hedley 66), Marriott, Knight (Gibbons 74), Hurst, Headley

Subs not used: Bennett, Orlando-Young

Goal: Headley (60)

Booked: Headley (41), Taylor (64), Hedley (76), Hurst (78), Calder (90+4)

Referee: Dean Hulme

Attendance: 1,491

Next Up: AFC Telford United (H) | Saturday 31st August, 3pm kick-off