Vanarama National League North: Lowestoft Town 3 Bradford Park Avenue 0

A BRACE from the home side’s Mikey Spillane helped to put the skids under Avenue as their four-match unbeaten run was ended in emphatic fashion.

The Trawlerboys’ centre back headed home two goals as they hauled themselves to within a point of Martin Drury’s side.

Lowestoft had a good early chance but it went begging and it could have cost them as Avenue’s former Bantam Callum Chippendale threatened.

His terrific free-kick from two yards outside the area was palmed wide by keeper Ben Killip.

Avenue keeper Jon Stewart also had to be at his agile best in the early stages and did well to save an Adam Smith free-kick after Jake Reed had been fouled by Billy Priestley, a challenge that earned the Avenue centre back a yellow card.

But Smith soon claimed the assist for the 24th-minute goal that broke the deadlock.

His free-kick picked out Spillane, who was alarmingly free inside Avenue’s area, and the big defender did the rest.

Stewart had to make a sharp save to keep out a crisp shot from Ryan Jarvis as the hosts enjoyed a good spell but Avenue came back strongly, and Chippendale was again denied by a top-drawer save from Killip.

The home side doubled their lead eight minutes before half-time when Jarvis finally beat Stewart with a good shot into the bottom corner.

Before the break, Drury sent on club captain Simon Ainge for Priestley but, although Craig King had a good opportunity when he fired over from deep inside the area, the visitors still trailed 2-0 at the interval.

Avenue had a chance to reduce the arrears when a shot from Lamin Colley flew just wide but a possible comeback was unlikely from the 51st minute when Spillane headed in his second.

Killip was worked again when Chib Chilaka had a shot from close range, and Nathan Turner fired just wide later but Ainge was forced to make a goal-line clearance to prevent the Trawlerboys claiming a fourth.

Lowestoft are now just one point behind Avenue, who retained 15th place in the table despite the defeat, which was witnessed by owner Gareth Roberts.

The Texas-based chief executive climbed aboard the team bus before it departed for Suffolk to give his best wishes to the players and staff but was left as disappointed as the rest of the Avenue supporters at the final whistle.