Bradford Park Avenue 1 Gresley Rovers 2

It was another hugely frustrating night for Avenue as they let a second chance to go clear at the top of UniBond Division One slip through their grasp.

They dominated large periods of the game but failed to turn their superiority into goals and that set them up for a cruel twist.

With just over five minutes remaining they were denied a strong penalty claim and Gresley broke to score the winning goal.

The struggling Derbyshire outfit had lost six of their ten previous starts this season and came to Bradford with a scratch squad looking at a damage limitation expedition. They left with a maximum and Avenue only had themselves to blame.

It was a mugging but only because the home side had invited it. Had they taken just half of their chances they would have had protection against a late strike from the visitors.

Gresley keeper Tom Whittle made several outstanding early saves, thwarting Neil Ross on both occasions. The big striker was on the end of a Liam Flynn cross in the tenth minute and when he raced clear six minutes later, Whittle parried one and palmed the other for a corner.

There was nothing the Rovers keeper could do to stop Ross midway through the half following a free-kick. Neil Redfearn fooled the defenders with a cleaver delivery, David Cooke's low centre was only deflected as far as Ross and he drilled in from ten yards.

Whittle was back to being the hero just before the half hour, touching a shot from Lee Morris onto the bar.

Gresley levelled with their only shot on goal in the first half. Ravi Sangha made the break, Neil Grayston's tackle robbed him of the ball but it ran to Aaron O'Connor, who lashed a shot high into the net at the near post.

The second half was less productive but Redfearn did dip a direct free-kick over the wall only to see it hit the angle of post and bar.

Morris made way from Tom Greaves as Avenue tried to pep up their attack.

Ross was picked out by a cutback from Flynn but his shot struck Gresley skipper Andy Simpson and looped over for another corner. Minutes later Greaves went to ground under a challenge in the area but the referee waved play on.

Gresley mounted a counter and O'Connor twisted and turned after racing into the area and tucked in a low shot.

"You have to take your chances," said disappointed Bradford boss Phil Sharpe.

"We had so many good, and I mean gilt-edged chances, that we should have been out of sight. I have been in the game long enough to know if you don't make the most of them it comes back to bite you. That happened here."