For the second successive Saturday, Avenue had to postpone their Northern Premier League game at Horsfall Stadium, leaving fans kicking their heels.

But this time it was for understandable

reasons. The decision to call off the North Ferriby clash was made at lunchtime as the pitch had puddles on it and the forecast was for more rain.

The previous weekend, fans had worked hard to help prepare a soggy pitch for the visit of Runcorn but, despite the referee

giving the all-clear to play, the visitors failed to show and the game had to be called off minutes before kick-off.

Saturday's postponement was the fourth of the season at Horsfall and all for different reasons - Marine (frozen pitch), Gateshead (heavy snow), Runcorn (no show) and North Ferriby (rain-soaked surface).

Avenue spokesman Tim Clapham said: "All the postponed games at Horsfall were Saturday fixtures - surprisingly there have been no midweek casualties.

"I can only recall one other instance of a home game being called off because the opposition failed to appear. This was during the war when Newcastle ended their journey on December 22 in 1945 because the train

carrying them broke down!"

Avenue have also been the victim of two away postponements this season. They made a wasted trip to Ashton in November when the game was called off less than an hour before kick-off because of a frozen pitch.

Then the following week, the match at Prescot was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Ferriby face Blyth away tomorrow in a re-arranged game, so Avenue cannot play the fixture this week.

Now Phil Sharpe's hastily-assembled team must wait until next Saturday for a daunting visit to high-fliers Marine, whose game at Guiseley was called off at the weekend.

Last Wednesday, Sharpe introduced seven new players to the side and there was a big improvement despite a 1-0 defeat to fellow-strugglers Gateshead. But Saturday's other Premier Division results were, in the main, not kind to Avenue, who are still third from bottom.

Lincoln, the team just above them, lost at Farsley but the sides below picked up points.

Radcliffe Borough moved off the foot of the table with a 3-1 win over Ilkeston and are now just three points off Avenue with a game in hand.

And Runcorn, although hitting rock-bottom, got a point at home to Whitby. They are four points off Avenue with three games in hand. Avenue have still to play both those sides.

Gateshead now look like pulling clear of the relegation zone - they beat Burscough 2-0. Three teams are automatically relegated, with the possibility of a fourth going down.

Sharpe managed to make one more addition to his squad before the end-of-March deadline - the signing of Danny Trueman from Wakefield-Emley.

The former Ashton United goalkeeper has recently had a long spell out injured but Avenue needed experienced cover for John Lamb.