Bradford Park Avenue 1, Stocksbridge PS 0 - Park Avenue took advantage of the weather on Saturday to open up an eight point gap at the top of the UniBond Division One with a well-deserved but slender victory over Stocksbridge PS at Horsfall Stadium.

While play was possible on Avenue's much-improved home surface, promotion-chasing rivals Ashton United and Vauxhall were frustrated by postponements.

Both sides faced tricky away fixtures which will be even more demanding now because Ashton's trip to North Ferriby United and Vauxhall's journey to Eastwood Town are now to be re-arranged for midweek dates.

Avenue have played the same number of games as second-placed Ashton, who could cut the gap tonight when they host Stocksbridge, but Vauxhall now have two games in hand.

Bradford boss Trevor Storton was delighted, not just with the result but in the way his side had overwhelmed the fourth-placed visitors.

"We played well and put on a performance which was excellent," he said. "We played some lovely football which, in the conditions, was fantastic really.

"The scoreline flatters them because it was a lot more one-sided than 1-0 suggests, but we have to be satisfied at getting another three points.

"It puts us firmly in control. The other clubs can only catch us by winning three games but to do that we have to lose three to let them in.

''On top of that we have broken through the 70-point margin now and that will be another little psychological barrier they will keep focusing on.

"But we have to keep working until the job is done, working as hard as we did at the weekend to make sure if we are only 1-0 up we still get three points from it.

"We looked organised and disciplined, which was pleasing after Wednesday because against Radcliffe we looked neither. We were much better value than 1-0 but you have to stay alert when there is one goal between the sides."

How the first half remained goalless was a mystery, Avenue's chances had reached almost double figures and from two breakaways the visitors had forced home keeper Gavin Kelly into one good save and centre back Micky Thompson to clear an effort off the line.

Avenue's clearest openings fell to Andy Hayward, but he spooned a shot into the arms of Steels' keeper Lee Wainwright and chipped agonisingly wide of the target.

Wainwright had made two excellent saves to deny Avenue skipper Mark Hancock and Paul Wharton and Dean Calcutt had also gone close for the home side.

Maxwell almost broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half when he shot wide under close attention from two defenders, but he finally got the home side off the mark 60 seconds later.

The visitors were having a torrid time attempting to shackle Calcutt and he was brought down yet again. From the free-kick he took possession and turned a goal-line cross into the six yard box and Maxwell buried a firm header.

Maxwell, who had taken his season's tally to 20 with the strike and in doing so joining Hayward as the club's leading scorer, came within an ace of going out in front.

His shot from substitute Andy Quinn's 68th minute cross struck the inside of the post and popped up into the arms of Wainwright.

Avenue were given a late flutter, Kelly diving well to turn a Jimmy Flynn shot for a corner, but anything other than a home win would have been a travesty.