Vanarama National League North: Spennymoor Town 3 Bradford Park Avenue 0

BRADFORD Park Avenue suffered a second heavy defeat on the trot as a nightmare spell of defending helped newly-promoted Spennymoor Town rattle in three goals in four minutes late in the first half.

A solid second-half display from the Moors saw them comfortably extend their 100 per cent start to life in Vanarama National League North as they banked a third consecutive maximum.

That didn’t look likely in the early stages, however, as Avenue made most of the running and created the better chances.

Avenue manager Mark Bower had made three changes to the starting line-up after Saturday’s embarrassing 5-0 home defeat to York City.

Former Huddersfield Town under-18s skipper Jamie Spencer, released by the Terriers in the close season, came in at the back, as did last week’s new signing Mark Ross, with Nicky Clee also starting.

The suspended Javan Vidal, the injured Nicky Wroe and Nicky Boshell all made way as centre back James Knowles took the captain’s armband with Wroe sidelined.

But on a bad night for Bower and the Boshells - Nicky lasted less than a quarter of an hour before picking up an injury after coming on as a half-time substitute for his brother, assistant player-manager Danny - the game was already gone by then.

All three goals came from headers as Avenue’s defence failed miserably.

Glen Taylor converted Ryan Hall’s 36th-minute cross to open the scoring, and two minutes later he stooped to glance the ball past Avenue keeper Steve Drench as Matt Dixon whipped the ball in.

Taylor, who was named man of the match by the home sponsors, had a hand in the third goal as he played Dixon through and his chip was nodded in by Andrew Johnson.

The visitors were stunned as they had been in total control in the first 35 minutes, and the Spenny keeper Dan Lowson had been tested by Wayne Brooksby and Adam Boyes, while Spencer and Knowles had put efforts just over the target.

Lowson could only parry a Boyes effort late in the second half but the rebound hit the bar, which summed up Avenue’s night.