Ashton United 3, Bradford Park Avenue 2

A rare defeat for leaders Avenue left them level on points and games played with title rivals Guiseley going into tomorrow night’s derby showdown.

John Deacey’s side lost by the odd goal in five as mid-table strugglers Ashton United upped their game against the UniBond League Premier Division pace-setters.

Avenue chairman John Dean said: “We struggled from the off because we had two key players missing through injury. Obviously the defeat we suffered has thrown the title chase wide open now.

“We need to regroup before the Guiseley game and I’m sure that will be what John has been doing with the squad since Saturday.

“The injuries that kept Amjad Iqbal and Rob O’Brien out of the Ashton game will be a major concern.”

Ashton broke the deadlock in the sixth minute following a defensive error as Brett Renshaw, who was in the side as Iqbal’s replacement, put in weak back header. The ball was seized by Matty O’Neill and although Renshaw almost recovered the situation, the striker netted from a tight angle.

Two goals in a ten-minute spell then put the home side firmly in control, even though there was almost an hour left to play.

Ashton were exerting more pressure midway through the first half and Craig Robinson netted a header even though keeper Steve Dickinson got a hand to the ball.

The killer third goal came just two minutes after the half-hour mark. A cross came in from the right flank and Luke Gibson tried to clear but the ball fell to O’Neill, who lashed his second past Dickinson on the volley.

Avenue snatched a lifeline when they pulled a goal back just over a minute before the interval. Substitute Chris Hall headed a cross down and skipper Simon Baldry got to it first. The home keeper held the ball but it was already over the line.

The second half saw both sides reduced to ten men but little action in front of goal and Avenue not capitalising on a stand-in keeper for the home side.

Hall, who was brought on as Deacey made a double change after seeing his underperforming side go 3-0 down, chased down a through ball and sent it across the edge of the area.

Home keeper Terry Smith had been caught in two minds about staying put or trying to reach the ball before Hall and was stranded just outside his area when he cut out Hall’s cross with his hand.

Smith had already been booked for protesting about Avenue’s late first-half reply so the second yellow card for deliberate handball saw him sent off.

With no specialist on the bench for Ashton, an outfield player donned the gloves. He made some good saves but a botched clearance by him hit a team-mate and dropped for Hall to slot in Avenue’s second.

Instead of sparking a comeback there was a weak ending as Baldry was sent off following a challenge that the referee deemed was made with studs first.