Vanarama North: Bradford Park Avenue 4, North Ferriby United 4

BRADFORD Park Avenue rescued a point from a seemingly impossible situation in a remarkable eight-goal game to register their third draw of the National League North season.

Visitors North Ferriby United finished the game with ten men after half-time substitute Nathan Hotte, the former Avenue skipper, picked up a straight red card just before the hour for a foul on the home side’s hat-trick hero Chib Chilaka.

Avenue trailed by the odd goal in seven at that point after a trademark Richard Marshall stunner from the edge of the area.

It was that type of game, seven goals in the first hour with the defending being woeful from both sides in the first half.

Bradford boss Martin Drury, the club’s former left back, was mightily unimpressed with that first 45 minutes, and said, “I’m not even relieved that we got a point from it because we were capable of taking all three.

“The first half was a nightmare, and I went ballistic at half-time but it shouldn’t take me going ballistic to get a reaction out of players – experienced players – who can do so much better.

“I thought we defended well in the second half but that just added to the frustration because if we had done that in the first half we would have won the game.

"Ferriby play a certain way and we had prepared for that all week in training, and then the players seemed to forget everything we’d worked on.

“Our goals were all well crafted and well taken but we gifted them their goals, and you can’t win football matches doing that.”

Ferriby were the first to threaten as Tom Denton planted a header into the turf that bounced just wide in the sixth minute.

But Avenue had started better and deservedly broke the deadlock just before the quarter-hour when Craig King did well to keep the ball in play and lay it back for Nathan Turner to cross to the far post, Chilaka nodding in from close range.

Bradford’s lead lasted just five minutes, however, winger Curtis Bateson being allowed to walk through the Avenue defence.

However, a minute later Chilaka put the home side back in front after taking Marshall’s through ball and rounding the keeper before squeezing in a shot from a tight angle past a covering defender.

Bateson netted again after the home defence gifted Ferriby possession inside their own area, and Denton added to that with an effort that went in off both posts.

However, Avenue's debutant keeper Myles Wright, a youngster on loan from Chesterfield, failed to gather a through ball which Ryan Kendall snatched before rolling into the empty net to make it 4-2.

Marshall reduced the arrears with his spectacular drive before Chilaka claimed his treble with a great strike, Turner again providing the assist.

It was eventful but the dust will have settled before today’s trip to Harrogate Town for a big derby.

Harrogate warmed up for today with a 1-0 win at last season’s play-off finalists Chorley.