Bradford Park Avenue 1, Worksop Town 1

Bradford Park Avenue face a first qualifying round replay on Wednesday after a hard-fought, if sometimes uninspiring FA Trophy tie at home to Worksop.

The clubs are Premier Division rivals in the Evo-Stik League but Avenue have had a much better start to their campaign, meaning Worksop were the underdogs.

But they dismissed that tag as, although Avenue had some good spells, they were all too brief and found their former goalkeeper Jon Worsnop in top form for the visitors.

Worsnop’s opposite number John Lamb also had to be aware throughout and he too made some crucial saves.

Lamb was first to be pressed into action as Worksop were award a free-kick in the opening seconds which culminated in a header on target which the Bradford stopper tipped over his bar.

Midway through the first half, from an Avenue corner, skipper Rob O’Brien fired in a shot that Worsnop had to palm around his post.

From that corner, O’Brien found himself with another chance to shoot from the edge of the area but this time he hit it over the bar.

Worksop forward Jamie Jackson’s pace was proving to be a concern for the home defenders and just after the half-hour mark he was fouled in the area. Town skipper Mark Hudson took the spot-kick and he sent Lamb the wrong way.

But it took the home side just minutes to respond and that was also from a set-piece after Worksop’s Luke Shiels picked up the game’s first yellow card.

The free-kick was lofted into the area, James Knowles nodded it down and Richard Marshall forced in the equaliser from close range.

Town had the ball in Avenue’s net minutes before the interval following another free-kick but Massiah McDonald was offside when his glancing header beat Lamb.

The visitors threw the kitchen sink at Avenue after the interval and the hosts lost O’Brien to injury before the hour mark.

But they weathered the storm and Worsnop made a blinding reaction save to deny Adam Clayton and made an equally breathtaking save when substitute Nicky Boshell planted a firm header on target.

Between those saves Town left back Steve Gardner breathed a sigh of relief when his intended clearance just flew over Worsnop’s crossbar.

Five minutes of stoppage time failed to find a winner and Avenue boss John Deacey said: “We were poor – very poor at times.

“Now the players don’t get the midweek off because they have to travel down to Worksop and start all over again.”