Park Avenue 2, Barrow 0 - Park Avenue reached a heady 13th in the UniBond Premier Division table with their third win on the bounce when they overcame former Football League rivals Barrow.

Avenue are now all but safe. One more victory would make them mathematically safe but by the time they are next in league action - a week on Saturday at Bishop Auckland - they will almost certainly be assured of their future.

If Hyde United and Colwyn Bay fail to win both of their fixtures before then, Avenue's Premier Division status will be confirmed.

"We have 49 points now and that should be more than enough," said Storton. "As it stands, Hyde and Colwyn would have to win all five of their remaining games and I can't see that happening.

"We would also have to lose our last four games but the way the team are playing that is not likely.

"The conditions were bad on Sat-urday so it wasn't as good a performance as the previous two but it was still a fine and deserved vic-tory.

"It was more of a workmanlike performance because it was a scrappy game but an excellent result. It's the points that matter most and the fact that we did the double over them. will give the lads a lot of confidence going into Wednesday's League Cup final first leg against Accrington Stanley."

The bone hard dustbowl that Horsfall Stadium has become over the three weeks of dry weather made good football almost impossible to play.

Both sides struggled in the strong wind. Avenue got there just reward just two minutes before the interval. Andy Hayward streaked through to reach a Phil Lindley through ball and he chipped Barrow keeper Simon Bishop.

Skipper Mark Hancock sealed the win 19 minutes from time.

Jason Maxwell had beaten Bishop to a Wayne Benn free-kick and directed a header goalwards but Hancock was taking no chances and slid in to ensure the ball crossed the line.