Bradford Park Avenue 0 Guiseley 0

SATURDAY'S derby clash with the Lions at a blustery Horsfall Stadium was an uncharacteristically tame affair and raised more questions than answers.

Guiseley remained in fifth spot, the last play-off place, after banking the point but was that good enough as they head into their last three games?

They never really showed their promotion credentials at Horsfall but was that because Avenue are a team in form who never allowed their visitors to play an expansive, attacking game?

It could quite simply be because the dominating factor on the day was the high wind that made it difficult and led to an error-strewn afternoon.

Deacey - whose side entertain Vanarama Conference North title-chasers AFC Fylde tonight - had his own thoughts. He said: “I thought we played well in difficult conditions against a very good side. Neither side created too many opportunities but the longer it went on I thought only one side wanted to win.

“It seemed that they were happy to not get beaten, which says a lot about how far we’ve come. We’ve been playing that well that even teams as high as Guiseley expect a tough game when they come here.”

His opposite number, Lions boss Mark Bower, said, “It was a difficult game and it had nil nil written all over it after the first ten minutes.

“The high wind affected anything that went over head height and everyone knows the surface is not the best at Horsfall so we couldn’t play our natural game. It’s the same for Avenue because they are a good footballing side with players that have pace and can hurt teams but they didn’t get the chance to shine either.

“But after last week (2-0 home defeat to Stalybridge Celtic) a point from an away game against a side in form and a clean sheet is a positive.

"I wouldn’t say we’d settle for a point because you want to win every game but at this stage of the season and given the circumstances we will take the positives out of this and move on.”

Avenue were fortunate early on because when Adam Boyes turned to shoot inside their area, Billy Priestley had a handful of his shirt. The referee took no action and home keeper John Danby parried the shot before a defender hacked the ball clear.

Bradford forward Sam Patterson created an opening with trickery inside the Guiseley area but his shot from an acute angle went over without ever troubling Lions keeper Steve Drench.

Guiseley skipper Andy Holdsworth drilled a 30-yard free-kick over the angle of Danby’s goal midway through the first half and Drench was almost caught out at a 37th-minute corner when Ryan Qualter’s header reared up and hit the keeper high on the chest. He also blocked Chib Chilaka’s effort from the rebound.

Bower replaced Oli Johnson with Liam Dickinson just before the hour mark as the former Norwich City man failed to make an impression but few did in a strangely low key-derby.

Tonight’s visitors Fylde failed to take advantage of leaders Barrow’s 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Brackley Town. Fylde drew 2-2 with Solihull Moors when a victory would have seen them go joint top but they are still locked in a two-way battle for the title and the one automatic promotion place.