Bradford Park Avenue 1, Wakefield & Emley 1: Danny Walsh dedicated his 77th-minute wonder goal to nagging assistant manager Ian Thompson.

The midfielder unleashed a thundering 30-yard drive into the top corner to ensure Avenue's dominance at Horsfall Stadium last night yielded them a point.

Walsh's late equaliser muscled out Darren Day's seventh minute 20-yard volley. They were both quality strikes that did not befit the rather dull end-of-season local derby.

"As soon as I hit it, it was always going to go in," said Walsh after his third strike of the season and second in successive games.

"It just sat up nicely for me. Thommo (Ian Thompson) has been nagging at me to get forward and that is why I pointed at the bench after the goal.

"He has been giving me a hammering for not scoring enough so I have tried to add it to my game - but I think I also still need to score more tap-ins."

Avenue maintained their unbeaten league home record in 2003 despite a shaky start.

Seven minutes into this match, Wakefield star Day controlled a cross neatly on the edge of the box, and when no-one came to challenge him, he quite happily drove into the top left-hand corner of Chris Howe's net.

But it was the visiting side's only real chance of the day, as Avenue took control of the tie.

Despite the better possession, Trevor Storton's men failed to turn their dominance into clear-cut chances with the best opportunities falling to Simon Collins.

The bustling midfielder had a sharp volley parried, fired one just over after neat chest control and then had a header beaten away from an Andy Wright corner.

Jason Maxwell and Andy Hayward worked hard up front but failed to create many genuine opportunities to get the equaliser.

Collins limped off at the interval with a groin problem and the second half continued in a similar vein to the relatively dull and passionless first period.

Howe, increasingly impressive since taking over from Jamie Holmshaw in the Avenue net, did well to parry an Andy Wilson drive just after the hour mark but it was a half of few chances.

But just when the 288 crowd thought the game was going to peter out, Walsh stepped in to save the day.

He took one touch to control Hayward's pass ten yards outside the penalty box before unleashing a superb drive across the keeper and into the top right-hand corner of Paul Cuss's net.Day later blasted one over but the game was destined for a draw and that is how it rightly finished.