Vanarama National North: Harrogate Town 1 Bradford Park Avenue 0

HARROGATE Town played for just over half an hour with nine men but still held out for a victory over Bradford Park Avenue in a tough derby  after the visitors failed to convert from the penalty spot.

On a day when the weather claimed so many fixtures, this game was never in any doubt thanks to the 3G surface at Town’s CNG Stadium.

Park Avenue were without Wayne Brooksby, who is on loan from Harrogate, but they did have new signings Aidan Chippendale and Reece Webb-Foster on the bench.

Some games had fallen to frozen pitches as ice and frost gripped parts of Yorkshire but there was plenty of heat once the derby got going.

Harrogate were down to ten men after Jon-Paul Pittman launched himself into a challenge in first-half stoppage time.

Former Avenue skipper Simon Ainge was again the home side’s goal- scoring hero but he turned villain as he was also dismissed, just after the hour mark.

Ainge picked up two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes and followed Pittman for an early bath.

The hosts had taken a tenth-minute lead as Ainge, who had scored four in Harrogate’s 6-3 home win over Nicky Law’s Alfreton Town in their last league outing, headed a good cross past Bradford keeper Jon Worsnop.

Pittman and Joe Colbeck went close as Town threatened to double their lead, and the home side had created the better chances in the first half but Nicky Boshell, after taking a through ball from his brother Danny, and Adam Nowakowski had gone close for the visitors.

Chippendale came on to make his Avenue debut as boss Mark Bower made his first change, with former Harrogate man Luke Dean making way.

Webb-Foster replaced Nowakowski soon after, coming on for his second debut after signing for Avenue on loan from Bradford City for a second time.

Avenue were handed a golden opportunity to draw level when Tom Platt fouled Nicky Boshell in the 69th minute.

He got up to take the resulting spot kick but Harrogate keeper Peter Crook parried the effort and gathered the follow-up shot.

The Town stopper made another telling contribution minutes later, diving to his left to palm away Nicky Wroe’s 20-yard volley.

The Boshell brothers, Emile Sinclair and substitute Jack Dyche all threatened but the nine men almost put the gloss on the win when Worsnop had to be alert to foil Colbeck from a rare break late on.

The defeat means Avenue are again three points adrift of the teams above the drop zone after Gainsborough Trinity’s 3-2 win at basement outfit Altrincham.

There are three clubs who are just three points better off than Bower’s side - Gainsborough, Alfreton and Worcester City, who bounced back from a home defeat to Avenue with a draw against FC United of Manchester.