Bradford Park Avenue 0 Chorley 0

A POINT from a tight goalless draw at home to Chorley saw Bradford Park Avenue bank an impressive four Vanarama National League North points over the bank holiday weekend.

Avenue went into the weekend with just six points from five games and lying 16th in the table. This hard-earned draw, on the back of Saturday's 4-1 win at Telford United, lifted them to tenth.

Manager Mark Bower said: "It was a difficult game but I think you have to give credit to the players, of both clubs, for giving so much effort just two days after another hard game.

"I though we created the better chances. There were a couple in the first half and that one that Nicky Wroe sent in early in the second half was heading straight for the top corner before their keeper reached it. That was a fine save.

"Chorley are a top side and were beaten finalists in the play-offs last season. You can't judge them on their current position (20th) because they will be one of the clubs challenging at the end of the season.

"So to say that we're slightly disappointed to be only taking a point from them under these circumstances just shows how much we've improved really. It's a sign of the progress that we're making."

The Magpies, playing in all red rather than their usual black and white stripes, had spells of possession but Avenue goalkeeper Steve Drench was largely untroubled. Jake Cottrell and Josh Wilson fired high and wide from distance for the visitors in the first half.

Wroe had a shot from distance on target and Adam Boyes glanced a Wayne Brooksby cross wide of the far post just before the half-hour mark.

Wroe's superb effort in the 54th minute was tipped over by the Magpies keeper Matt Urwin.

Oli Johnson could only turn a shot over the bar from an acute angle from a later free-kick and Drench made one save of note as he got down to foil Matt Hughes when the Chorley substitute had only the keeper to beat inside the last ten minutes.