Bradford Park Avenue 2 Bridlington Town 0

Avenue sit proudly as joint leaders of the UniBond Premier Division after a hard-fought home win over Bridlington last night.

The performance was every bit as encouraging as the result as Avenue had a fluency about them that has been missing in the last two games. That is despite a four-point haul from the previous two fixtures.

Taking seven points from a possible nine has thrust Bradford's second club level on points with early leaders Eastwood Town - one of only two sides to beat Avenue in the league this season.

After more than an hour of chipping away at the Brid defence, Avenue took control of the game with strikes in the 68th and 70th minutes.

Striker Neil Ross was first to the plate. Gathering the ball in the final third of the pitch, he laid it off and gambled on a return pass. David Cooke supplied the cross and Ross lashed the ball into the top corner.

Cooke, on loan from Premier Division neighbours Guiseley, netted his first goal for Avenue soon after. Andy Shuttleworth provided the cross for Cooke to loop a header over the visitors' keeper.

The best move of the night followed minutes later but did not produce the goal it deserved. It began in defence with Avenue coming away from near the corner flag. A dozen passes later, Shuttleworth fired straight at the Town keeper.

Avenue came within inches of increasing their advantage soon after when another break from Cooke saw him cause problems for the visitors' defence.

His final ball picked out Neil Grayston but his shot cannoned back off the bar and Liam Flynn could not direct the rebound goalwards.

Bridlington's best chance of the evening fell to Jamie Barnwell but he failed to convert it and Avenue earned a deserved clean sheet.

"We played well, it wasn't nervy but turning round at 0-0 was a bit of a disappointment," said assistant manager Clive Freeman.

"Bridlington are a young side, out to impress their manager and make their names in the game so they didn't come here to lie down. We had to be patient and keep plugging away because they were up for it.

"They had Gavin Kelly in goal, an ex-Avenue legend, and in the first half it could have been four or five if it hadn't been for him. He was on top form and made some great saves to keep his side in with a chance.

"You got the feeling that once we scored a goal others would come. That happened with two in two minutes but we didn't make the most of that. Bridlington came back to have a little look late on but without really threatening our lead.

"At the moment Phil (manager Sharpe) and myself are quite pleased with the way it's going. We have been in the game far too long to be getting carried away before a quarter of the season has gone but we are not conceding a lot of goals and we have a super team spirit."

  • Avenue under-18s face Dunstan FB in the FA Youth Cup at Horsfall Stadium tonight (7.45pm). Dunstan beat Bradford City 2-1 in the same competition last season.