Bradford Park Avenue 6, Vauxhall Motors 2: Avenue warmed up for next Sunday's visit of Bristol City in the FA Cup first round with their first home win of the season and after a nervous first half - in some style.

The lowest point of the season for the Bradford club was a 6-2 hammering at Vauxhall's Rivacre Park on the banks of the Mersey. Having knocked the Ellesmere Port club out of the FA Cup and now reversing the win in the UniBond Premier they exorcised their ghosts the day after Hallowe'en.

With manager Trevor Storton on a fact-finding trip to Ashton Gate, running the rule over Sunday's opponents in their 1-1 home draw with Luton Town, assistant Ian Thompson was running things from the dug out.

"It is a relief to get the first home win and coming just before the Bristol game it is a massive boost to the confidence of the players," said a delighted Thompson.

"We thought we owed Vauxhall one after the heavy defeat at their place and now to put six past them after beating them in the cup as well makes us all square. Our lads deserved that."

Thompson admitted it was not plain sailing but was generous in his praise.

"In the first half it didn't look as though we would get the win, to be honest I thought we were lucky to come in 2-1 up. Andy Hayward has done it for us again, scoring in stoppage time.

"But after the break I thought we were on top and could only see one winner. We kept going forward and once we had six we still had three one on ones at the death. Five different names on the score sheet is great, that is another boost for the players."

Vauxhall were rocked back early as Steve Oleksewycz grabbed his eighth of the season in the fourth minute. He appeared to scuff his shot from the edge of the area but managed to steer it wide of the visitor's keeper.

The Merseysiders could have fallen further behind before bouncing back to snatch an equaliser midway through the first half.

Avenue's defence was cut open and Peter Cumiskey found his captain Kevin Lynch ten yards out in a central position and he fired in.

Two minutes into time added on at the end of the first period James Stansfield's punt from just inside his own half picked out Jason Maxwell and he flicked the ball to Hayward who lifted the ball over his marker and then placed a shot into the corner.

In the 47th minute Simon Collins fired Avenue into a 3-1 lead, at the third attempt as the ball refused to sit up for him, but Fearns grabbed a second for Vauxhall with an angled shot.

In a flurry of late activity, visiting keeper Steve Hilton allowed a shot from a tight angle by Ryan Crossley to go under him, Hayward planted in a firm header and substitute Danny Walsh rounded off a fine afternoon for Avenue with a low drive after sprinting clear of Vauxhall's back four.