BRADFORD Park Avenue boss Martin Drury is monitoring the goalkeeping situation after back-to-back postponements prevented regular number one Jon Stewart from beginning his three-match suspension.

Stewart was sent off towards the end of Avenue’s 2-1 win over Lincoln City in the FA Trophy on December 21 and was handed a ban that was due to start with last Saturday’s home game against Nuneaton Town in National League North.

Drury moved to sign young Burnley keeper Calum Mitchell on a one-month loan to cover Stewart’s unavailability but the manager is left wondering if the deal will suffice after two postponements in the past week.

Drury said: “Jon should have served the first game last weekend and then Wednesday’s County Cup tie against Halifax would have been his second and it would have been over after today’s FA Trophy tie with Nantwich Town.

“Unfortunately the weather has beaten us and if we have any more games off over the next fortnight it could become a problem. We were glad to get Conor in and the one month would have timed it just right, but it’s now a situation we are monitoring and we will judge it as it happens.”

Bradford’s midweek West Riding County Cup quarter-final with FC Halifax Town was scheduled for a neutral ground as the neighbouring clubs desperately tried to get the game played.

Last Saturday’s league game against Nuneaton was the latest of six postponements at Horsfall Stadium since November.

The FA Trophy tie against Lincoln City was postponed twice, league games against FC United of Manchester and Curzon Ashton have also fallen victim and an attempt to stage the Halifax tie on December 2 was also washed out.

The club have invested money to improve the Horsfall Stadium pitch but one of the wettest Decembers on record meant postponements have been unavoidable. Forecasted sub-zero temperatures are a new threat.

Drury said: “It’s been very frustrating, like last season all over again and that is one thing we didn’t want.

“The club has spent a hell of a lot of money on the pitch during the close season and our wonderful volunteers have spent an awful lot of time working on it.

“But even all that hard work and finance can’t countenance the amount of rain we’ve had lately. It has been all over the country as well, not just locally, and even the pro clubs have been affected.”