Avenue give home fans summit to cheer about (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Avenue give home fans summit to cheer about

5:57pm Sunday 31st January 2010 in

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Park Avenue 2 Marine 0

Bradford Park Avenue made the most of Retford United’s postponement and Boston United’s defeat to storm to the summit of the UniBond Premier Division on Saturday.

Just three of the nine scheduled fixtures survived the icy blast that began on Friday.

By easing to a comfortable home victory over Marine the Bradford club jumped from third to top as they deposed Retford and left Boston trailing in their wake.

It took Avenue more than four minutes to get out of their own half as Marine, with former Rochdale and Northern Ireland striker Lee McEvilly leading their line, enjoyed a good start.

They flattered to deceive because Avenue dominated the rest of the game, although at 2-0 they failed to kill it as a contest.

The home side were good value for their victory but they kept their supporters in a state of anxiety and frustration by missing a hatful of chances.

A few good openings had gone begging before Avenue broke the deadlock in the 20th minute. Brice Tiani did well to keep the ball in play and chip it to the far post, where Chris Hall directed a header into the danger area and, when Marine keeper Tim Dittmer could only punch it out, Jamie O’Brien returned it with interest.

Just six minutes later the home side led 2-0 as Avenue streamed forward.

The move began with right back Stephen Downes and his pass invited winger Simon Baldry to send in a low centre. Leading scorer Aiden Savory stepped over it to sell Dittmer a dummy and Hall was on the far post to sweep the ball in from less than a yard out.

A catalogue of missed opportunities followed before the break, the final one in the 42nd minute when Hall rounded the last defender and the keeper but stumbled and fell to his knees as the ball ran wide.

O’Brien failed to reappear after the break having picked up an injury in the first half, so Matty James replaced him in midfield.

The change did not halt the creativity of the home side but they continued to waste chances.

Baldry had a 53rd-minute shot cleared off the line by skipper Michael Jackson while a Savory shot palmed up by the keeper clipped the bar and went for a corner.

A later header from Savory hit the post and bounced into Dittmer’s arms with Hall steaming in.

When a James Knowles header from a Downes corner hit the post Avenue knew a third goal was going to elude them.

Avenue reserve team manager Wayne Benn said: “We took a few of our chances but should have scored more.

“Being top at this stage of the season is nice but it means nothing because it’s where you are in May that counts.”