AVENUE have agreed to part company with assistant manager Mark Hume with the club lying fourth from bottom in Vanarama Conference North.

The amicable split comes after a four-year partnership with John Deacey but now Hume wants to pursue his own managerial ambitions.

The highlight of Hume's years at Horsfall – the centre back joined when skipper of Conference North outfit Eastwood Town in 2009 – was promotion from the Evo-Stik League Premier Division.

He hopes that Avenue not only stay up but continue to play the attractive football that has become their trademark.

Meanwhile, there is no hiding place for out-of-sorts Avenue, who have recruited Niall Heaton on loan from the Bantams after previously spending a month at Ossett Town.

Still licking their wounds from a battering last weekend, the high-profile games keep on coming and they now host one of the title favourites.

Avenue suffered a heavy defeat at fellow strugglers Solihull Moors last Saturday, which came after two excellent performances against league leaders AFC Fylde in the FA Cup.

Deacey is hoping his side bring their A game this weekend, so he is happy to be facing Barrow. The Bluebirds are fourth but trail Fylde by only five points and have two games in hand.

The Bradford boss said: "Last Saturday was disgraceful. The first half was the worst since I've been here. It's harsh but that's all I can say – the worst I've ever seen.

"But that's gone now. We go forward and the players have worked ever so hard in training.

"There is no magic formula. We have to get the confidence back into the players and to do that we have to work our socks off and get some results."

With many of their rival clubs in FA Cup action this weekend, a win would improve Avenue's league placing. The game was originally scheduled for last Monday but, with both clubs out of the cup, it was rearranged.

Deacey said: "Last Sunday I was disappointed that the game had been moved because sometimes it can be best to get straight back out after a 4-1 loss to get it out of the system.

"Looking back, I think it could have come as a blessing in disguise because the players would have been a bit tentative.

"But they have trained really well all week, the team spirit is great and maybe we all need this type of game.

"Maybe it will have the same effect as the cup games against Fylde, when we played really well. We matched the league leaders for 90 minutes twice and only lost the replay by the odd goal in extra time."

Deacey is hoping that Chris Lever will be fit to return. He has not played since his debut in the first cup meeting with Fylde.