Bradford Park Avenue 0, Histon 0

Histon secured their Conference North status with a goalless draw at Horsfall Stadium in a game that would have soon been forgotten had it not been for one highly controversial decision.

Bradford were looking to go out in style in front of their home fans as the Blue Square Bet North drew to a close - in more ways than one as the betting company’s title sponsorship ends. But the Cambridgeshire visitors were battling for survival.

All of that real drama came in a poor second following an incident 12 minutes from time that led to Avenue ending the game with ten men.

Avenue were on the attack when referee Tim Wood called play back for an innocuous foul by one of the visitors. The home players were crestfallen that the advantage rule had not been played.

As play halted, Bradford skipper Nathan Hotte gently lobbed the ball in the general direction of where the offence had taken place.

It struck the man in the middle between his shoulder blades and he turned while reaching into his back pocket but no-one in the ground foresaw the red card he brandished.

Hotte pleaded his case with the assistant referee, who had witnessed the incident, but to no avail.

Up until that point it had been largely forgettable. Avenue’s on loan Bantam Adam Baker had missed the home side’s best chance, while Histon were showing much more hunger but that is also why the goal-shy side were still looking over their shoulders at the drop zone.

In the second half, Avenue keeper John Lamb made three decent saves to ensure the visitors were not going to score and it was they who were keeping the ball in the corners, running the clock down in an attempt to hold onto their precious point against ten men in the four added minutes.

It all made it an unsatisfactory end to an otherwise very promising, entertaining yet ultimately frustrating season for Bradford.

Having been on the fringes of the play-offs for the last two months, they missed out before Saturday and their last-day stalemate saw them overhauled by local rivals Harrogate Town.

Town finished with nine men at Vauxhall Motors, after Michael Woods’ late sending off and an injury after the three substitutes had been used, but Danny Forrest’s stoppage-time goal was enough to snatch sixth spot from Avenue.

Histon’s players, management and supporters celebrated wildly at the final whistle because they had stayed up at the expense of Corby Town. The margin between the clubs was one in the goal- difference column!