Vanarama National League North: Solihull Moors 2 Bradford Park Avenue 1

NEW Avenue boss Darren Edmondson suffered his first loss, but only by the odd goal as he saw his side battle well at leaders Solihull Moors.

While the Moors moved closer to the title – they now need just five points to clinch the automatic promotion place – the faint chances of the visitors being dragged into the relegation battle increased.

Avenue were seven points clear of the drop zone before kick-off at the Autotech Stadium but Lowestoft Town’s win over Stockport County cut Bradford’s cushion to four.

However, Edmondson’s side have games in hand on all of the three clubs in the relegation places.

A brace by Michael Nottingham, who was unsurprisingly named as man of the match by the sponsors, gave the Midlands outfit their narrow win, and the right back got the Moors off to the best possible start.

He fired in a third-minute shot that beat Bradford keeper Jon Stewart and crossed the line before the visitors’ captain Simon Ainge hooked it away, the assistant referee being well placed to give the goal.

On the quarter-hour, a header from Akwasi Asante went just wide of Stewart’s goal but Avenue were enjoying a good spell, and almost levelled just after the half-hour when Ryan Qualter met a Richard Marshall cross, his header clipping the bar on its way over.

They were on terms at the interval though after Marshall netted from the spot.

Nottingham was guilty of the foul in the area on Marshall that resulted in the spot-kick but the forward got up to beat home keeper Danny Lewis with a shot down the middle.

Both sides had seen efforts cleared off the line in that first half, Avenue’s Liam Dickinson being thwarted by a last- ditch clearance for a second game on the trot, and Chib Chilaka had the ball in the net but the referee had already blown for a foul.

The second half was just as eventful but the Moors grabbed the winning goal just after the hour.

Ryan Beswick’s delivery was headed back by Liam Daly, and Nottingham nodded in.

Avenue ended strongly and there were chances for Ainge, Chilaka and Dickinson but all went begging.