Bradford Park Avenue 2 Matlock Town 2

 Avenue conjured an equaliser deep into stoppage time to salvage a point, leaving boss John Deacey to declare: “If that hadn’t gone in it would have been daylight robbery.”

Matlock were just a few places behind their promotion-seeking hosts in the Evo-Stik Premier Division, so on paper it should have been a close game. On grass it was one-sided but the visitors got the breaks in the first half.

Avenue were ordering a last round in the last-chance saloon when they snatched a share of the spoils through Adam Clayton but it was more than deserved.

Even then they pushed for what would have been a dramatic late winner in the remainder of stoppage time.

“I thought we were magnificent. It was a very, very encouraging performance and even after our equaliser we were looking to win it,” said Deacey. “It could have been 6-2 to us by half-time, and that is not being silly about it. We let ourselves down with errors and bad marking when they scored but they were the only two chances Matlock had.

“We created throughout but it was a bit of a gamble making changes at half-time.”

Deacey took left back Martin Drury off and replaced him with debutant striker Curtis Bernard. It was a bold move that could easily have backfired – but it didn’t.

“I knew it was risky switching to three across the back and having an extra man in midfield but I weighed up the options and decided it was a gamble I had to take.”

The Bradford boss had problems before kick-off, with striker Aiden Savory unable to make the squad because of a pulled stomach muscle. Deacey partnered Matty James with skipper and midfield dynamo Rob O’Brien up front.

They did not have time to gel before Matlock were in the lead. Former Avenue man Chris Betteny took a corner that curled in on the wind and Tyiesse Nightin-gale got a glancing header on it to beat home keeper John Lamb.

Lamb was beaten again midway through the first half when Danny Davidson’s low cross ran to Betteny, whose shot was blocked but Nightingale stabbed in to claim his second.

The star of the show was Town’s former Halifax keeper Jon Kennedy as he made a string of top-drawer saves in both halves.

Avenue got a foothold in the 61st minute with a superb strike from Michael Duckworth, who curled a low drive into the bottom left-hand corner.

From knocking on the door, Avenue began banging it down. Duckworth nearly bagged himself a brace after a solo jinking run and Kennedy made yet another save as Barnard and then substitute Dempsey Smith both stabbed goalwards.

Into the first of the four added minutes, Lamb sprinted up to join the attack for an Avenue corner that ended with Nicky Boshell’s flag-kick being cleared off the line.

A minute later, Adam Clayton was on the end of a cross to net a near-post header, much to the delight of the home crowd.