Bradford Park Avenue hauled themselves back out of the bottom three in the UniBond Premier Division with a second victory of the season at Horsfall Stadium over bogey side Droylsden.

Avenue dispatched their Manchester rivals from the FA Cup in the last week of September with a 3-2 victory. And when the visitors had James Glendenning sent off in the ninth minute of this league meeting, Avenue were always favourites to win.

However, despite their dominance, parts of their display were frustrating for the management team. They watched with furrowed brows as Avenue squandered a host of opportunities and ten-man Droylsden continued to threaten.

"I am happy with the three points but not with the performance," said concerned assistant manager Ian Thompson. "Three-one, three points, fantastic, but I don't want to take them like that every week.

"It frightened me to death, at times we were so dominant but our finishing was poor. They had chances to come back and would have drawn if they hadn't shot wide from six yards twice. But it is another win for us, there are four teams below us in the table now and that's good. Yet we are better than what we saw on Saturday, we have a good squad of talented players and it's time for them to start producing."

One of the forwards singled out for praise by Thompson was Andy Hayward who the assistant boss described as 'fantastic, his goal was different class' and new signing Scott Bairstow also attracted rave reviews.

The player slotted into a back three as Avenue elected to alter their system in order to shore up their defence. He marked his second debut, he last played for Avenue when they first won promotion to the UniBond five years ago, with a goal. He had only arrived from Harrogate Town on Friday but fitted in as if he had never been away, prompting Thompson to add. "The kid can play, he is smart. Trevor (Storton) and I knew he would be a great signing and he showed his class in his first game. He is a long way off full fitness but he was nice and steady."

Glendenning was removed by referee Richard Hewitt after he lashed out with his foot at Wael Nazha. The Avenue striker needed treatment before play could continue but was able to carry on.

It was not until the midway through the first half that Avenue's numerical advantage began to show. Dean Calcutt and Nazha were both denied by good goalkeeping from Paul Phillips.

Just after the half hour they made the breakthrough, Hayward smashed a 15-yard volley past Phillips from Keiron O'Brien's left wing cross.

Three minutes before the break Bairstow doubled the home side's lead. He drilled a shot from the edge of the area wide of Phillips and covering defender Mark Bradshaw allowed it under his foot as he made a hopelessly wild swing at.

O'Brien and Nazha were guilty of glaring misses ether side of the break and it gave Droylsden a glimmer of hope as they cut the arrears nine minutes into the second half. Micky Thompson misdirected a clearance into the path of Carl Holmes and he found the corner of Avenue keeper Craig Dootson's net.

Within a minute Avenue were 3-1 in the lead when Thompson went some way to atoning for his error. Hayward headed a James Stansfield chip goalwards and Thompson made sure it crossed the line by applying his own head at the last second.