Histon 1, Bradford Park Avenue 0

Bradford Park Avenue’s Conference North game at Histon was in doubt following heavy rain on Friday and a forecast wet Saturday morning – and they will now be wishing that it had not got the go-ahead.

Avenue were without manager John Deacey, who is away on a short break, but were looking forward to the fixture against the struggling Cambridgeshire outfit.

But it was Histon who were smiling afterwards as they banked the three points that lifted them to 16th place and gives them a six-point cushion over the three clubs in the relegation places.

Assistant manager Mark Hume was in charge of Avenue and he brought in the forward that he and Deacey have been trying to land.

Paul Beesley signed on loan from Harrogate Town the day before the game and was thrown straight into the starting line-up.

Despite that boost, Avenue knew they would be in a battle and they were not disappointed as the home side showed the spirit and effort that was expected.

Avenue were also not short of desire or determination and it was a tight game from start to finish, with no quarter given or asked.

Beesley had few chances during a first half in which Richard Marshall was back pulling the strings in central midfield after missing the previous Tuesday night’s 2-0 defeat at Hednesford Town through suspension.

Histon picked up three yellow cards as they kept their visitors at bay in the goalless first half.

It was shaping up to be a game that one goal would sway – and that proved the case, with the crucial strike coming in the 67th minute.

A good move ended with a ball into the area and Lewis Taaffe found the net with a looping header.

Both sides continued to build well and put the opposition defence under pressure but the final ball was either missing or lacking the quality to put hearts in mouths.

The defeat dropped Avenue out of the top ten and further away from the promotion play-off places.