BRADFORD Park Avenue are looking to follow up their derby victory at Harrogate Town in a cracker of a Boxing Day fixture as they cross the border into Lancashire for a roses clash with Chorley.

Garry Flitcroft's high-flying hosts are newcomers to the Vanarama Conference North but they have taken to it well.

The Magpies are still in the promotion play-off places – but only just following last weekend's surprise 3-1 defeat at Lowestoft Town.

Flitcroft's men will be hoping home advantage helps them bounce back as they have also suffered defeat at Solihull Moors and on their own turf against Boston United in the last eight games.

Avenue will be keen to get young striker Benny Igiehon involved after recruiting him on a month's loan from Nicky Law's Conference Premier outfit Alfreton Town.

The 21-year-old was available for last Saturday's home game against fellow strugglers Gloucester City but that was postponed, so he is set to make a belated debut.

Igiehon's new side desperately need the points as they sit fourth from bottom, just above the drop zone. But they remain two points better off than Gloucester, who are immediately below them.

Today's match will be the first under new stewardship for Avenue after Gareth Roberts acquired the majority shareholding from Bob Blackburn, who becomes a vice-president of the club.

Both Blackburn and Roberts are out of the country at the moment, so neither will be at the game against Chorley, but Dallas-based Roberts has given his first statement.

He said: "I would like to thank Bob Blackburn for the work that he has done to get the club where it is today. It is a remarkable achievement, given where the club started.

"It is due to Bob that I became reunited with the club and one statement in particular that he made struck a chord with me. He said that he become involved with the club as a way of giving something back to the community and that is also my motivation.

"Sport has the power to improve people's lives and the Bradford area certainly needs all the help it can get, so I will be looking at all possibilities for the future.

"In the meantime, the immediate focus is the pitch and the team. The longer-term focus is on a permanent and acceptable ground.

"I am pleased to add that Kevin Hainsworth (finance director, who has stated his intention to step down from the Avenue board) has agreed to help during the transition."