Bradford Park Avenue boss Deacey not complaining after pretty ugly victory

The Bradford side won to earn their second win of the week and stay fifth in the table. However it was an uninspiring performance.

That could have been down to the players having half an eye on Saturday’s FA Cup first-round tie.

They have all week to recuperate for their trip to Hampshire to face AFC Totton but they will be left wondering if they have impressed boss John Deacey enough to make the starting line-up.

Deacey said: “It was a good three points but an ugly three points if there is such a thing. We played badly, it was an awful game.

“Stocksbridge may be struggling in the table but they are a difficult side to play against and they frustrated us.

“We didn’t play well in any department but we got the win and after the week we have had it was as much as we could do. We have two training sessions now this week before we travel down to Hampshire on Friday.”

After the win at Kidsgrove Athletic, the drama of the live televised first-round draw and a superb home win in the league over Chester, a damp squib on November 5 was always on the cards.

Avenue can now gather themselves and look back on three excellent victories – no matter how the last one came around.

They broke the deadlock in the sixth minute when a cross from the right was palmed out by Steels’ former Avenue keeper Ben Scott and Rob O’Brien set himself for a half volley. The ball did not come off the turf as high as the Avenue skipper expected so there was a touch of fortune about the goal. O’Brien’s effort thumped into the ground but bounced over Scott and into the net.

The visitors had chances themselves in a good spell just after the goal but the second half belonged to the home side.

Despite that the home fans had to wait 80 minutes between the goals for their team to settle the issue.

Avenue forced a corner and when it was whipped in, James Riley timed his run to the near post to perfection and arrived to head home from close range.