Corby Town 4 Bradford Park Avenue 5

Blue Square Bet North basement outfit Corby Town were almost gifted their first point of the campaign by unbeaten Bradford Park Avenue in a nine-goal game encounter with an unnecessarily tense finish.

Avenue had the game won at 5-2 up with two minutes remaining but they were guilty of letting their thoughts wander to tonight’s home clash with Stalybridge Celtic.

In doing so they allowed their hosts to get a sniff of a dramatic leveller.

Bradford’s Jordan Deacey had hit the Steelmen’s bar with a rasping drive even before the visitors had broken the deadlock. A free-kick midway through the first half, well struck by Richard Marshall, cannoned back off the bar and went in off home keeper Paul Walker’s back.

The other Paul Walker, Avenue’s forward, began the move for the second as his pass released Martin Drury and his low centre was flicked on by Danny Holland for Tom Greaves to volley home.

Greaves was on as a substitute after an early injury to midfielder Adam Clayton and he made the most of his chance by rounding the home keeper to stroke Avenue into a 3-0 lead.

The first half still had drama left in it as Corby pulled a goal back four minutes before the interval when Leon McKenzie netted after a corner had been cleared off the line.

However, Avenue restored their three-goal cushion when Holland scored on the stroke of half-time.

Greaves and Holland combined again before the latter bagged his brace to make it 5-1. Just minutes later there was a cross into the Avenue area that McKenzie got something on and the effort was deflected into the net.

Avenue were cruising despite that setback but goals for Josh Moreman in the 89th and 90th minute threw the result into the air.

The visitors held on to move up two places to sixth, ahead of tonight’s clash with Stalybridge, who are seventh.

But the best news for Avenue was that Amjad Iqbal made an appearance as a second-half substitute after months of rehabilitation following two career-threatening injuries.