Bradford Park Avenue 1

Lancaster City 0

Avenue lifted themselves off the foot of the Conference North with a well-deserved but ultimately nail-biting victory over Lancaster City at Horsfall Stadium.

It earned them their first double of the campaign and was their second home win on the trot. It also marked the home debuts of left back Pete Naylor and Thomas Curle - who came off the bench after finalising his signing on Friday.

"The importance of this win cannot be understated," said delighted Bradford boss Carl Shutt, who will be looking for more of the same on Wednesday at home to Worcester City.

"There were a lot of positives to come out of the game. We played well and restricted Lancaster to half-chances. Tom Greaves took his goal really well and, but for a very good save from their keeper, he would have had two.

"We could have had a couple more. James Coubrough and Ryan Crossley went close and we got some quality balls into the area. Ryan put in another immense performance, Tom was on top of his game and Thomas showed late on what he can do with a dead ball.

"It was a superb team performance but if anyone stood out it was Pete Naylor. He has given us a solid look down that side and that is what we have been looking for."

Avenue were a threat to the visitors throughout the game and they should have had a bigger margin to defend. The fact they failed to add a second goal gave Lancaster hope and they mounted a late push.

The last few minutes of normal time and the added three minutes were nervous ones for the home crowd. Some bayed from the terraces for Avenue to 'play the game' when Steve Oleksewycz and substitute Michael Naylor held the ball near the corner flag.

Unsurprisingly they were among the first to leap into the air at the final whistle.

After the season Avenue have had no one could blame them for running down the clock to edge them towards a maximum three-pointer.

In the early stages Avenue were in total control. A neat Danny Walsh back-heel deep inside the area gave Greaves his first sight of goal but his shot was blocked.

A Ryan Crossley free-kick from the centre circle was headed down and Coubrough's 16-yard angled drive was palmed round the post by Lancaster's former Accrington keeper Jamie Spear.

The visitors' first effort on goal saw Peter Thompson's deflected shot touched on to the bar by Avenue keeper Andy Britton. Spear was soon at full stretch again as Greaves tested him.

The breakthrough came on the half-hour, following good work on the left flank from Pete Naylor.

He found Greaves in possession just outside the area in a central position. He had to work his way across to get the space for a shot but it arrowed low into the net.

Leading scorer Oleksewycz managed to get a foot on a high bouncing ball and divert it beyond the grasp of Spear but it drifted wide.

Early in the second half he was through again but delayed his shot and was robbed just inside the area.

The chances kept coming. Lancaster made changes to try to get back into the game and they gained their first corner of the game in the 82nd minute, but it came to nothing, as did the three they forced in stoppage time.