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

Avenue twice drop points and suffered late heartbreak against AFC Telford in a highly entertaining game at the Horsfall Stadium on Saturday.

Two goals from Brenon Daniels and Adam Walker undid the good work that the side had shown in the previous game. The final outcome, a 3-2 home defeat adding fresh concerns to Marcus Law about his side’s defensive frailty that harshly saw Park Avenue leave home with nothing.

Looking to build on their first win of the season against Darlington on Monday, Park Avenue started the brighter of the two sides with two chances in quick succession falling to Lewis Knight in the Telford six yard box.

Knight continues to impress at the club and showed early glimpses of why Law is keen to play him in the middle rather than out wide, busting a gut to chase numerous attempted through balls.

Nelson Digbeu had another hugely impressive opening at the back. Tall, quick, combative and comfortable on the ball under the pressure, he ticks a lot of boxes for Marcus Law at the back.

Whilst Park Avenue where playing with the confidence and relentless drive carried over from the Darlington game in the opening quarter, the games first goal came in the 28th minute from Daniels, who had a simple tap in at the far post after a lapse in defence had seen Avenue fail to deal with a cross into the box.

The goal which came against the run of play, seemed to immediately stir Avenue into fightback mode and less than ten minutes later, they had drawn level at 1-1.

Park Avenue’s first goal at home this season and of the game came from an exciting passage of play. Lewis Knight controlled a superb 60-yard ball in space from Riccard Calder to advance inside the Telford box and slip the ball inch perfect past Telford goalkeeper, Andrew Wycherley, who was caught in a one on one situation.

Knight had read the cross, broken free and could not miss. It was a moment of brilliance from the young Bradford forward, who continue to come of age at the Horsfall Stadium.

Seconds after Knight had equalised for Park Avenue, Marcus Dinanga had for forced a corner for the visitors, but Taylor was on hand to deal with a mad scramble to recover the ball in the Avenue box.

However, moments before the break Telford punished Bradford again, this time from Walker, who had the space and time to strike the ball past Taylor from 20 yards out into the Aveneue net to give the visitors a 2-1 lead at the interval.

The second half began with Bradford in the ascendecey, wrestling the momentum back and Knight saw a chance float inches over the Telford bar.

Bradford continued to push hard with Isaac Marriot, Brad Dockerty, Jaheim Headley and Alex Hurst all continuing to shine.

A defence-splitting past from Marcus Wood had put Dockerty through and the young forward took the ball on the right foot and fired a shot that Wycherley fumbled but recovered.

Bradford could then sense the game was there for the taking, adopting a gung-ho attitude as they went for the jugular trying to draw level.

To their credit and endeavour, they did just that for the second time in the match after they broke at pace from deep with Calder mirroring the earlier effort from Edwards, sending a 20-yard rocket past a static Wycherley into the roof of the net to send the Horsfall Stadium into wild celebration.

Bradford sensed three points were on the horizon but just couldn’t find much joy after that moment of magic from Calder as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Queue more defensive chaos in the Park Avenue box, a frustrating feature of Park Avenue’s campaign so far this season as Telford snatched victory with only minutes remaining through Daniels’s second goal of the game.

Avenue undone by a curling cross from Aaron Williams which connected with Daniels, who had somehow beaten six defenders in the 18-yard box.

Rhys Taylor had no time to react as he and the rest of the Park Avenue players on the pitch could only watch in disappointment as the ball rolled painfully over the line to give Telford three points in a thoroughly entertaining advert for the National League North.

Photo credit: John Rhodes

Match Report: Mick Gledhill