BRADFORD Park Avenue will be looking to avenge their first defeat of the season when they host Nuneaton Town in Vanarama National League North tomorrow.

After opening with draws home and away, Martin Drury's men lost their third game of the campaign 1-0 at the Liberty Way Stadium, with James Reid scoring the only goal.

It was a third consecutive win for Kevin Wilson's side as they started how they meant to carry on and they arrive at Horsfall Stadium sitting pretty in third place.

Nuneaton began 2016 at the summit but are now five points behind new leaders Solihull Moors, who they lost to at home last Saturday.

The Moors also beat their neighbours 3-1 in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day and the six-point swing has left Wilson's men trailing.

However, they have a five-point cushion on sixth-placed Harrogate Town, so are not yet looking over their shoulder in terms of the play-offs.

Avenue will be looking to add to Nuneaton's worries, though, as they seek the comforts of home, going into the game after suffering back-to-back away defeats which ended a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

The two losses, both by the odd goal – 2-1 at FC United last Saturday and 1-0 at North Ferriby the previous Monday – have not seen the Bradford side plummeting down the table but they are now only four points above the trapdoor.

However, 14th-placed Avenue have played fewer games than all of the eight clubs below them and could climb into the top half of the table with a win this weekend.

Their squad has also been boosted, with Drury snapping up former Bradford City youth player Callum Chippendale on his release from Barnsley.

The young forward made a debut from the bench, playing the last 25 minutes against FC United at Broadhurst Park last week.

Club captain Simon Ainge was also a substitute. He did not make his first appearance since his long injury lay-off but he is ready to get some game-time and begin to regain match fitness.

That in itself has given everyone at the club a huge lift and they hope to see their skipper back in the heart of their defence soon.