Worcester City 2 Bradford Park Avenue 0

Avenue were left to rue a host of missed opportunities in the first half as they slumped to defeat at Blue Square North play-off rivals Worcester City.

The Bradford side also finished the game with nine men after Jordan Deacey picked up two yellow cards and Nathan Hotte was guilty of a late rush of blood.

Midfielder Deacey’s two bookings came inside a three-minute spell early in the second half, while centre back Hotte was shown a straight red for jumping in with studs showing.

Neither dismissal affected the result too much as Avenue were trailing 1-0 when Deacey got his marching orders and they remained on the offensive even with ten men.

By the time Hotte went Worcester were 2-0 up and finishing strongly.

The home side’s Greg Mills had shown his quality with the dead ball to create Worcester’s first chance and his second free-kick, in the tenth minute, was headed home by Jacob Rowe.

Avenue immediately went in search of an equaliser and Tom Greaves fired wide from just inside the area. Minutes later Michael Duckworth fired over from distance.

A Greaves header and a James Knowles back-heel brought saves from home keeper Matt Sargeant while his opposite number Tim Deasy was relatively untroubled as two City efforts dropped into his arms rather than him having to make saves.

Another Duckworth piledriver was tipped over by the home keeper before Alex Davidson, Deacey and Richard Marshall, with a stunning 25-yard half volley, went close before half-time.

Avenue started well after the interval but were soon down to ten men. Deacey picked up his first yellow card for an off-the-ball incident and minutes later stood over the ball to prevent a quick free-kick being taken and was given a second.

Danny Holland was on the end of the next two chances the visitors fashioned but it was substitute Tom Corner who came closest to a leveller. Corner’s header from a Marshall corner was parried by Sargeant and Paul Walker lashed the rebound into the side netting.

Corner was picked out by a Duckworth cross and the big striker controlled the ball before shooting but his effort was blocked by a lunging defender.

Worcester killed the contest in the 73rd minute. Mills was on the end of a Charlie Reece cross and he rounded Deasy before stroking the ball into the net.

The result and the sendings-off were not ideal preparation for tomorrow night’s home game against Gainsborough Trinity, another club in the hunt for the play-offs. However, Avenue will have been heartened by their overall performance at Worcester.