Bradford Park Avenue 1 Gainsborough Trinity 2

Bradford Park Avenue were left cursing their luck after losing for the first time in eight games tonight.

Fellow strugglers Gainsborough Trinity claimed all three points with a brace from on-loan striker Chris Hamilton, the second of which was a winner in the dying seconds of the match.

Avenue enjoyed the better of the goalless first half, creating a number of clear openings, but the visitors’ luck was in.

An early chance for Paul Walker looked to have provided the breakthrough but the forward’s effort hit the post.

Chib Chilaka came just as close to giving Avenue the lead but he was denied by an excellent save from the visiting keeper.

Avenue really could have been three up as Craig King also had a glorious opportunity earlier in the half.

The game turned five minutes after the break when Hamilton lashed home with a well-struck shot from outside the area. It was a bolt out of the blue and it stunned the Bradford players.

They settled again after a while and got back into the game when Craig King hit a 75th-minute equaliser. King struck a sumptuous shot that was so far out of the keeper’s reach that it grazed the inside of the post on it’s way in.

Gainsborough snatched the winner with Hamilton’s last-minute strike, boosting their own chances of keeping their heads above water as the season reaches a thrilling climax.