Vanarama National League North: Bradford Park Avenue 4 Curzon Ashton 2

AVENUE were awe inspiring in the second period of a game of two halves as they came from two goals down to gain instant revenge on Curzon Ashton.

Chib Chilaka bagged a brace, substitute Richard Marshall netted from the spot and Jason St Juste wrapped up the scoring in a one-sided second half.

Avenue had lost at Nash’s Tameside Stadium the previous Saturday and must have feared the worst going into the break 2-0 down but they dominated after the interval.

Boss Martin Drury was delighted with his Avenue team, saying: “I thought the players were magnificent in the second half and we got what we deserved from the game but the three points must be dedicated to our supporters.

“Without their help, we wouldn’t have got the game on.

"Some of them came to the ground in the morning and put in a lot of work alongside our regular volunteers, and that win is their reward.

“I thought it was a deserved win as well. The players came in at half-time and had a talk between themselves and sorted a few things out.

"They knew what wasn’t quite right and they were determined to put it right and it was great to see them taking the chances we created in that second half.”

Avenue found themselves a goal down in the eighth minute after Curzon midfielder Matt Warburton drilled a low shot from the left corner of the area across home keeper Jon Stewart and into the bottom corner.

The home supporters must have been wondering why they had given up their morning to help work on the pitch as their side went further behind in the opening quarter hour.

Craig King was adjudged to have shoved Ryan Brooke in the area, and Warburton’s stuttering run up sent Stewart the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

Chilaka began the comeback eight minutes after the interval when his deflected shot nestled in the top corner.

There was a touch of controversy about the equaliser as Marshall netted but the referee had already blown for a foul in the area on St Juste.

It didn’t matter though as Marshall confidently sent Nash keeper Hakan Burton the wrong way from the spot.

Just 12 minutes after his first goal, Chilaka grabbed his second with a superb finish from a tight angle after his skill, determination and strength had taken him deep into the area.

The final goal was also contentious, but Avenue, and Chilaka in particular, were right to fight for justice.

The Curzon defence cleared an Avenue attack but Connor Hampson fell to the ground, play continued and the home side won possession and attacked again.

The referee blew to stop the game but after asking the player if he required treatment, the physio was not called on. Referee Billy Khatib asked Chilaka to return the dropped-ball restart to Curzon but he refused.

The dropped ball was contested and Chilaka won it, crossed it and St Juste bundled it over the line off his knee.