Vanarama National League North: Bradford Park Avenue 0 Tamworth 2

AVENUE'S 2-0 home defeat that dropped them closer to the relegation places hinged on two key moments.

An incident on the quarter-hour mark after which home skipper Simon Ainge was laid flat on the turf and led to players from both sides surrounding the referee, ended with a yellow card for Telford striker Danny Newton.

The second contentious decision was a penalty awarded to Avenue just before the hour for handball.

The visiting players were the only ones surrounding match official Anthony Backhouse on that occasion as they felt the ball had hit Ross Dyer’s face, rather than his arm.

The referee, who had a good view of the incident, was convinced he had seen it strike an arm and pointed to the spot.

With the match poised at 1-0, striker Chib Chilaka saw his effort well saved by Lambs keeper James Belshaw.

Disappointed Avenue boss Martin Drury said: “I thought overall that we were the most dominant team in terms of possession and the pattern of play but we conceded a first goal that was inexcusable – it was weak.

“We’ve conceded from a corner and it was unacceptable – you can work on set-pieces and give people responsibilities. It just shouldn’t happen.

"Into the second half and I thought that again we were the better side and were positive without really testing their keeper enough.

“Then we got the penalty, and you can’t put blame on someone, but those are the moments that change games. You miss a penalty at 1-0 down and it completely shifts the momentum again.

“I think that knocked the wind out of our sails after we had worked so hard for 60 minutes, and the lads found it tough after that.

"We got back into it after reacting well again but the second goal – you have got to give all the credit to Elliott for that one.

“That’s what Elliott Durrell has got. He’s got that quality in his locker and it definitely shows. We did well but they got two chances and took them both and that’s the difference in this game and why the table doesn’t make good reading.”

The Lambs, who moved up to sixth with the win – outside the play-off places on goal difference only – broke the deadlock after forcing a 17th-minute corner.

Avenue keeper Jon Stewart’s punch didn’t clear the area, Newton headed it back into the danger zone and Connor Taylor headed it home.

The result was put beyond doubt 12 minutes from time when Durrell met a cross from the left flank with a volley that hit the underside of Stewart’s crossbar and bounced back up into the roof of the net.

Avenue are now just two places and two points above the trapdoor.