Avenue looking to hit back after loss (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bank Holiday setback a real ‘six-pointer’ for Sinnott men

2:20pm Thursday 3rd September 2009 in Sport By Ian Whiting

Bradford Park Avenue missed a great opportunity to stay on the tails of the early UniBond League Premier Division pacesetters on Monday and find themselves playing catch-up with visitors Ashton United this weekend.

Avenue are now a point behind eighth-placed Ashton, when they could have been glancing back at them from the lofty heights of the top three.

The reason behind that was Bank Holiday Monday’s home loss, Avenue’s first defeat of the campaign, to North Ferriby United.

Horsfall boss Lee Sinnott was philosophical, saying: “I think we could have been joint-second and then at teatime we found ourselves in 11th place. You can’t earn six points from one game but that scenario is why people refer to that equation.”

It was a controversial clash with Ferriby as both sides netted penalties, Avenue had a man sent off and – topically this week – had a man booked for diving. Sinnott was as forthright as ever in his assessment.

“It was a costly defeat in terms of league placings but it is very early in the season and there is a long way to go,” he said.

“When James Knowles was sent off we were definitely up against it. I had a chat with Knowlesy after that and told him he deserved to walk.

“He is a genuine lad and he promised me that he didn’t mean to go in with studs showing and I trust him in that.

“I told the referee after the game that I had no qualms or problems with that decision but raised the issue of two challenges by Ferriby players. For me, they could have ended with red cards as well.

“When Simon Baldry was shown a yellow card for diving, I thought that was ridiculous. It was exactly the same as the penalty we were given on the night.

“We can talk about incidents in any game but the truth is none of them altered the result because we just didn’t play well.

“The players came in the day after and trained really well and then we all had a constructive chat about what had happened and what is needed to put it right.”

Sinnott expects Luke Gibson to be fit for Saturday but Matty James (hamstring) and Amjad Iqbal (dislocated shoulder) are still sidelined.

GUISELEY stole a march on their neighbours by winning at Marine on Monday, a victory which took them above Avenue in the table, and they have home advantage over Kings Lynn this weekend.

The Lions are currently sixth – ten places above the Norfolk outfit, although only four points separate the clubs.

Guiseley could be struggling up front this weekend, with James Walshaw suspended and Adam Muller (wrist) also a doubt.